Shadows of a Life Gone By
by InigoShadow92
Summary: Although it's true that Sheik loves Link,Link was not his first love. "Is it so crazy that his smile reminds me of another? It tortures me." SheikXOC, Yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

IS92: Yay! My first real Yaoi fic! This is also the first fic of mine that I've ever used Sheik as the narrator… So if I don't exactly do a good job, remember this is my _version_ of Sheik. (Also meaning I know Sheik is supposed to be Zelda…) He's sooooo adorable! 3 *Hugs Sheik*

Sheik: Get off! *shoves*

IS92: *sob* they always do that… Sooooo, the usual, I've never owned Zelda, etc. Oh, and if you don't like Yaoi, don't read. If you do or don't know what Yaoi is (or why I keep capitalizing it… eheh.) then go ahead! Read and review, please!!!!!

Chapter one

As I sit here next to him, my mind wanders. What is a scrawny little Sheikah like me doing with a strong, kind, gorgeously handsome young warrior like the Hero of Time? Link could have had anyone of hundreds of different lovers (Of both genders, I might add) and yet he chose me. As I look down into the relatively calm Zora's River, I wonder why he finds me so appealing. My dirty blonde hair hangs into my face, covering one of my crimson eyes. The rest of my face is concealed by my cowl, a last defense against his childish curiosity. I'm not really attractive by any means. I'm far too pretty for my gender. I mean, for the love of Nayru, I look like a girl! There's practically nothing masculine about me unless I'm fighting. The touch of an arm snaking around my shoulders snapped me out of my thoughts. I sighed. He was trying to reach out to me again. I love him, I really do. I'm just too used to being on my own, keeping myself distant, to really appreciate his affection. I turn towards him, and my crimson eyes lock with his azure stare. He smiles at me, making me blush. Did I look surprised or something? I'll never know. I lose myself in the smile that lights up his eyes again. Then that stupid memory of mine has to ruin the moment. Is it so crazy that his smile reminds me of another? It tortures me. Link's smile… reminds me of _him_. The one I couldn't save.

The day I first saw him, I was surprised to have found another Sheikah. Impa and I were supposed to be the last ones. Everyone else had vanished, including my parents. But when I saw his crimson eyes, I knew. He was like me. A Sheikah.

He was roughly my age, too. I was only fourteen at the time, a full three years before I'd go to help the Hero. Before I'd meet Link. His hair was so blonde it was almost white, and his eyes, they were like twin rubies. … I noticed another ruby-colored thing. It was appearing all over him. _Blood._

There was a gash running across his chest, almost all the way from his left shoulder to his waist on the right. Several smaller cuts adorned his wiry arms. A single cut, barely a scratch, ran along his left cheek, bleeding slightly. I could see he was having difficulty breathing and as soon as it registered within his mind that I was a friend, whatever adrenaline was coursing through his veins gave out. As he began to fall, I rushed forward. I caught his head before it hit the ground. Whatever he had been through, he had lost a lot of blood. With the bandages and everything I had at the time, I bound his wounds as best I could. He would die if I didn't get him professional help soon, so I hefted him up onto my back. His head rested on my shoulder, making his breath hit my neck.

Needless to say, it was rather distracting.

IS92: So how did you like the first chapter? No big stuff yet, just the start of a trip down memory lane… (dang that's cliché.) Things will heat up as Mr. has-no-name-yet's identity is revealed… and his relationship with Sheik deepens.

Sheik: What do you mean, _deepens!?!_

IS92: You know what I mean, Mr. what-do-you-mean.

Sheik: oh sh**.

IS92: Bad Sheik. No swearing. I censor you.

Link: Hey! Do I even get to talk in here? All we've heard is Sheik!

IS92: silly little hero, you just spoke! MWAHAHAHA

Sheik: …*sweat drop*

Link: …*sweat drop*…what's with the evil laugh?

IS92: I'm a little hyper right now… I'm just so 'xcited, guys! I love dirty little secrets……

Link: *looks at Sheik, wanting to know and not wanting to know all at the same time*

Sheik:… What?


	2. Chapter 2

IS92: YAY!!! The second chapter of Shadows of a Life Gone By! Mr. has-no-name-yet gets a name! Dance with me! Out of every one of my stories, only this one has gotten a review yet, although a couple others have been added to people's favorites. (Tells me a LOT about y'all.) So to the person who reviewed (you know who you are, I just forgot your name) thank you ohsoverymuch! To those of you who haven't reviewed, please do! *eyes little purple button* Even if it's just to tell me to write more, any question or comment would be very appreciated! *eyes little purple button again* Please? Oh, and the Hylian translation stuff doesn't belong to me. Nor does Zelda or any of the Zelda characters. (Stupid Nintendo.) The Hylian translation stuff is the property of Hotaru S. Tomoe. (I borrow so much without telling people…)

Chapter Two

When we finally arrived in Kakariko, I brought him to Impa's house. I knew she would help. Impa, being my aunt, scolded me for being away for so long as she took care of the boy's wounds. Although my aunt was downright scary when she was angry, I could tell she was worried about me. I had disappeared for a week without telling her where I was going.

"Don't you ever do that again." She told me in that authoritative voice of hers, "If you do, I swear I'll put you under the longest training session of your life."

"I'm sorry." I replied, my eyes still on the almost motionless figure of the boy, "Is he gonna be okay?" Impa sighed.

"He'll be fine, so long as that cut on his chest doesn't fester. It was deeper than I thought." She said. As she walked away, I didn't notice her glance back at me knowingly. But she must have, as I now realize that I felt eyes on my back that day.

"Kid." A voice said to me. I didn't recognize it, and so I ignored it.

"Hey kid, can you hear me?" It was louder this time, as the sleep I hadn't known had claimed me finally began to wear off. I opened my eyes to see I had fallen asleep sitting next to the boy. As the final veils of sleep faded away, I found, to my embarrassment, that I had used the boy's stomach as a pillow. I felt my face grow hot as I no doubt became as red as my eyes. I jerked away from him, nearly falling backwards in a very ungraceful way. He raised an eyebrow at me. "You alright?"

I nodded my head in reply, too embarrassed to say anything else. This… strangely easygoing response was nothing like what I would have expected from another Sheikah. Of course only seeing Aunt Impa for so long could give anyone misconceptions about the Sheikah race. I must have been staring or something, because he laughed. It was a light hearted sound that would haunt me later on.

"Can you even talk?" he asked. Small details about his appearance and other such things filled my head. The way his eyes lit up when he laughed, how his hair was so pale it looked white… how the bandages covering his body were just paler than his skin.

"Y-yeah." I said, barely able to force my lips to form words, "I'm Sheik of the Sheikah."

"You must mean the northern tribe. I'm Valamaiel of the Southern Sheikah." He said, "But most find my name hard to pronounce, so you can call me Val. Nice to meet you Sheik." As he spoke, I realized that he had a very strange, almost fluid accent, making his speech take on a sing-song quality. His name especially. He pronounced it vah-LAH-my-EL. The meaning of Sheikah names is supposed to be linked to the person's destiny, so a name like Val's isn't exactly good. His name meant "blood warrior" in the Tomoe dialect. It certainly fit the mental picture of the boy in the forest I had had stuck in my mind for the last few hours. He was destined for either a gruesome or a glorious fate, that was sure. I was luckier in this respect. My name just meant that I was an orphan.

"N-nice to meet you as well, Val." I replied, trying out his nickname. It rolled off my tongue easier than "Valamaiel" would have.

"Say, where am I anyway? And how exactly did I get here?" Val asked. I explained as best I could how he had come to be in Kakariko, including the incident in the forest.

"So I carried you all the way here." I finished, slightly out of breath. As I studied his face, I noticed he looked worried. The fear and anxiety behind his eyes was very clear. He seemed totally different than he had moments before.

"You said you found me out in the woods south of here, right?" he asked. I nodded in reply. "And I was covered in blood?" I nodded again, not trusting my voice.

"Not good." He muttered, "Definitely not good."

I would have asked him what wasn't good, but at that moment, my aunt walked in.

"You two really should be quieter. The racket up here could wake the dead." She stated, making a rare joke. She must have been in a very good mood that day.

"I'm sorry, ma'am." Val said, taking her literally, "I didn't realize…" She smiled.

"Relax. I was joking." She said, folding her arms. She looked at me. "Sheik, take care of the house while I'm gone." This command was practically habitual for her, as I already knew the drill and she had been telling me this every day since I had come here to escape the massacre that had claimed my parents. I merely nodded in reply.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Val asked me when my aunt was gone.

"No." I replied, "Only when I have to."

"You should talk more." Val stated bluntly, "How else is anyone supposed to get to know you?"

"They don't." I said, a little annoyed with him now. His I-know-everything attitude was grating at my nerves.

"What if they want to?" he asked. I got up and left the room. I hadn't wanted to harm someone I'd just helped bandage up.

IS92: So there's chapter two! Sheik's so adorable when he's annoyed! So… I have questions for you guys! Please answer in a review!

What do you guys think of Val?

What questions do you want to see answered?

*eyes little purple button again again* I purposely made Val into Sheik's basic opposite, by the way. Awwww… they complete each other! Oh! Also, I'm going to be working on some sort of VaatiXOC fic soon. Still no title yet, but once I figure that out, the first chapter's going up! If you like this one, you should like it. Next chapter, I'm delving a little bit deeper into Val's character. Maybe something interesting? You'll have to read to find out.


	3. Chapter 3

IS92: It's chapter 3 already?! Wow. Less than a week and I'm already three chapters into this thing. (it was when I wrote it, not when I posted it.) This chapter, something's gonna happen! One scene gave me the giggles. You'll know when you get there.

Val: Like hell they will. You're not posting that!

IS92: Yeah I am… now shut up, Val, before you give something away!

Val: Like hell _**I **_will.

IS92: Sheik, find the duct tape, please.

*Sheik goes to find duct tape*

Val: I'll be quiet!

IS92: Good boy.

*Sheik returns to find the duct tape is no longer needed*

Sheik: *sigh*

IS92: On with the story! Read and review!

Chapter Three

Val stayed with my aunt and I for about a week with no incidents whatsoever. It really surprised me that no one had come looking for him or anything. Maybe his family had wanted to get rid of him. I had no idea. Even so, he continued to annoy the heck out of me. I was used to peace and quiet during most of the day, but with Val around, my thoughts were interrupted almost constantly. He was obnoxious and absurd, always trying to get me to talk to him. He'd ask me questions about insignificant things like my favorite color or what I like to do and other things that really didn't matter. Looking back, I guess he was trying to get me to open up to him. It depresses me now. I should have talked to him more. I should have found out more about him. But what really annoys me is how often he was right. It wouldn't surprise me now if I found out he did know everything.

The night of the seventh day he stayed with us, I decided to check on him. He'd been acting rather strange that day, and I had a feeling he was mentally unstable at the moment. I slowly, quietly stepped into the room we usually reserved for any guests, which had become his room for the moment. His hair was tousled, and he was sprawled out on the bed, practically twitching.

_He's having a nightmare._ I thought, approaching him. As I came closer, I realized he was muttering in his sleep.

"No… no…you can't… NO!" he sat up, screaming the syllable. His eyes latched onto the window. I knew what he was going to do, and thought he was crazy. Din's fire, this room was on the second floor! There was no way he could survive a fall like that.

Either way, he shot towards the window quicker than I could react, throwing himself out it. At first I thought it was a suicide attempt, but when I saw him take the fall by rolling that thought left my mind. I rushed downstairs to try to follow him, waking up my aunt.

"Where are you going at this time of night?" she asked, but I was in too much of a hurry to answer her. I rushed out the door without another word.

When I got outside, I had nearly lost him, and as I caught sight of him again, he vanished into the forest. I relied on whatever I could to find him again, but he had vanished. It was a long while of wandering, much losing my way and finding it again, before I finally found him. I heard crying coming from somewhere ahead of me, and sure enough, it was him. He had practically collapsed on the ground.

"Get away from me, Sheik!" he shouted at me, pulling himself up into a sitting position, "Get out of here while you still can!" I walked towards him, gently placing my hands on his shoulders.

"It's okay, Val. You were having a nightmare." I said, trying to coax him into calming down.

"No. It's not okay." He replied, "Not all of the blood was mine!" I looked at him confusedly.

"The day… the day you found me… the blood that had covered me… wasn't all mine." He said, breaking down, "I killed them all! I… I don't know how… or why… but I did. Mom, Dad, the elders, Rosana. I killed them. Everyone in my village. I'd taken down some monster earlier and it must have possessed me, because when I killed them… it seemed like a nightmare. And I couldn't stop… not matter how hard I tried, I couldn't. I got wounded and ran off into the woods, and I saw you. Sheik, I don't want you getting hurt. You have to get away!" I looked into his frightened crimson eyes, and shook my head.

"All the more reason to stay." I replied, "Nothing like that's going to happen again. I promise."

He gave in. I expected him to be more stubborn than that, but he gave in. He let me gather him into my arms. It was then that I realized exactly how frail he was. He was crying so hard, I thought he'd snap in half for a moment. He was terrified. I suddenly remembered what he had muttered about a week before, about something being "not good." I figured that what he had been talking about was that incident. Eventually, I calmed him down enough that he was somewhat coherent and led him back to Kakariko.

When we returned, Impa was waiting for us. I brought Val back to his room and summoned up all my courage to talk to her. Things weren't going to be pretty.

"What exactly just happened, Sheik?" Impa asked once I came into her view.

"It's of no matter now." I replied. A silence followed, telling me she wasn't just going to let the issue die like I'd wanted.

"He's been through some… traumatic instances lately. A memory triggered a delayed panic attack. That's all." I said, giving the least descriptive form of the truth that I could.

"When you found him before, he was covered in injuries. I'd expect some kind of trauma. But he's a Sheikah. This kind of breakdown is almost inexcusable." Impa said, "Has he no pride?" It was one of the few times my aunt had said something so oblivious. It made me physically ill.

"Stop judging him like you know everything." I growled, "You have no idea what he's gone through."

She stared back at me like I was some sort of insect at first, but then her features softened. I stormed up to Val's room.

I stayed in the same room as him, not wanting the panic attack to strike again while I was gone.

_Dear Goddesses, we're a messed up society._ I thought. It had dawned on me that he had been holding back his emotions. The way he'd been taught to since childhood. Because that was the Sheikah way. I realize I've said this a lot, but it made me sick.

It was a very long time before the silence was broken.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." He said, still holding his knees to his chest as he looked at the floor.

"Don't worry about it." I replied, "You went through a very traumatic experience. Outbursts such as that are to be expected. You're only human after all."

"You must hate me." He stated. It sounded like he really believed I would hate him. "I've done nothing but cause you trouble. I'm sorry." I knelt in front of him, gently placing my hand on his shoulder.

"You don't trouble me." I began, but he interrupted me.

"Don't lie." He replied, "I'm a murderer. Eventually, your aunt will find out and she'll get rid of me. She'll hate me even if you somehow don't." I grabbed his shoulders roughly, forcing his eyes to meet mine.

"Do you think I'd have come after you if I hated you?!" I shouted at him, feeling like that was the only way to get through to him, "If I hated you, I would have let you leave!" The shocked expression on his face startled me as much as my actions had embarrassed me; I got up and took a few steps away, trying to distance myself.

"Sheik?"

The word quivered in the air, not quite a statement, not quite a question. I turned to look at him.

"Would you really have done that?" He asked, "If you hated me?"

"No." I replied. The words "because I can't hate you" remained unsaid. A cold sad silence filled the room as I walked through the door.

---

I didn't see Val until the morning of the next day. Oh, Goddesses, that morning embarrassed me.

I got up that morning fairly early. Impa wasn't there; she probably had left already. And, knowing this, I stripped down and wrapped a towel around my waist to go take a bath. After running after Val, I felt disgusting.

Well, wasn't I surprised when I opened the door and I saw Val. More of Val than I wanted to see. But I couldn't look away. The flat planes of his chest and stomach glistened in the light slanting from the window. A series of scars adorned them, making him look as if he were covered in fine, white lace. He was… Even now I can't think of a word for it. At the time, I couldn't keep myself from staring. And that was when he noticed me.

It looked like he was a little startled. I felt myself turn crimson as I realized all I was wearing was a towel and the cowl I almost never took off. He smiled at my embarrassment.

"Why are you so red?" he asked.

"Why should I have to tell _you_?" I replied almost coldly.

"Ooh. Defensive." He said mockingly, "I could understand, though."

"What _exactly_ are you implying?" I threatened, tensing.

"Easy!" he said, trying to keep things calm, "I'm just saying that if I were you, I'd be embarrassed of your girlish figure, too."

That did it.

"Are you saying that I look like a girl?" I questioned menacingly.

"N-No, I was just referring to your delicate build!" He replied, "……And I'll be going now." He was out the door like an arrow from a bow. For about two seconds, I thought about chasing after him. But I already felt drained. So I settled my emotions, locked the door and took a bath.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

IS92: Nyaha! Finally finished with Chapter three! I've had most of it done for a while now, but then there's school and solo and ensemble, and parents nagging me to go to bed before midnight… and my sudden compulsion to read the entire Death Note series… and other distracting things.

Sheik: Admit it. You were just too lazy to type up the last section.

IS92: Shut it, Sheik.

Val: You can't say that to him!

IS92: Yes I can. I am the author! I can do whatever I want.

Val: Well, the one scene didn't turn out like you wanted it to.

IS92: Yeah, and I blame you.

Val: I thought you could do whatever you wanted.

IS92: Val, Shut up. Review, please!


	4. Chapter 4

IS92: HI AGAIN!!! Here's Chapter 4! I'm really surprised that this story has made it so far. I've pretty much run out of ideas for this section of the story so I guess I'm just going to have to use fluff to fill in the gaps. Yay fluff! Anyway, on with the story!

Sheik: IS92 tends to be a little scatterbrained, so she doesn't even know if she did the disclaimer last time. So I'm going to say this for her this time. She doesn't own me or anything Zelda-related. Except for Val. She _does_ own him.

Val: She does not! I'm my own man!

IS92: Keep telling yourself that. You'll still end up the way I choose. MUAHAHAHA!!!

Ch. 4

I tried to ignore Val. But somehow he kept popping into my mind. It frustrated me to no end. The way he would tease me, the way he would make it so that I couldn't stay angry at him, no matter how hard I tried. I'd wake up early and walk past his room. Sometimes, I'd just stop in his doorway and watch him. His white-blonde hair would glisten in the new light. He caught me once. The look on his face as he realized I was staring at him was priceless.

"Sheik?" he asked, pulling me out of whatever forgotten fantasy world I was in, "What are you doing?" I felt my face grow uncomfortably hot at his question.

"That's none of your business." I replied curtly. I turned to leave buy he caught me by the shoulder. I vaguely wondered here my mind was. I hadn't even known he had stood up, let alone walked over to the doorway.

"Actually, I think it _is_ my business." He said, turning me to face him, "You _were_ staring at me." I made a mental note to be more careful about when I stared at him. "I'd like to know why." I felt that familiar, uncomfortable heat conquer my face again with a vengeance. I couldn't tell him the truth. I was too proud. Perhaps if I'd swallowed my pride, what happened later wouldn't have happened. Maybe I could have saved him. But I just stood there in silence.

His hands slid from my shoulders up to my face, one resting on my cheek as the other worked to remove my cowl. The fabric slid down easily, and I flushed a harsher pink as I began to feel self-conscious. My face was and is still very effeminate, and it was one of the things I didn't like about myself. Ordinarily I would have at least fought against such an action, but I was so caught by his eyes I could barely breathe. My heart pounded as adrenaline rushed through my veins.

"Why do you keep yourself hidden?" he asked, a faint smile softening his features, "you have a very nice face. The way you constantly hide, it's like you're embarrassed."

I was stunned. He had no idea how right he was. Maybe it showed on my face, because that faint smile grew for a moment. His hand fell to the small of my back, pulling me closer. His other hand slid to the back of my head, entangling itself in my hair. Any remaining mental capacity left me. My heart thundered louder than before; so loudly that I thought it could burst from my chest. Our lips met. I melted. My arms gained a mind of their own and wrapped themselves around his torso, one hand coming to rest on his shoulder, the other entangling itself in his hair. His tongue forced its way through my lips, playing against my teeth until my jaw slackened enough for it to attack my own wet muscle. I leaned into the kiss. Suddenly, something caught my eye. I could have sworn that there had been nothing there a moment before. Then I realized what it was.

Aunt Impa had come home for some reason.

And she had been watching at least part of that exchange.

I broke away from Val almost reluctantly, turning my head to stare at my aunt. She didn't seem angry. The look on her face was almost… amused. She raised an eyebrow at me as if to say, "And _what_ were _you_ doing?" It felt as if time, which had seemed to stop a while ago, had suddenly started its course forward again.

I regained control of myself and tried to shove Val away from me. Really, I barely moved him. More I managed to push myself away from him than vice-versa.

Which resulted in me slamming the back of my head into the doorframe behind me.

It was the single most klutzy thing I'd ever done, and I'd managed to do it in front of not only my aunt, but Val as well.

I crumpled, clutching the back of my head in pain.

"Are you alright?!" Val asked, his hand coming to my shoulder once again.

"I'm fine." I retorted, embarrassed. I pushed his hand away and retreated to my room.

_WHAT_ had just _HAPPENED?!_ I silently pondered if it was normal in any way at all for me to have kissed another guy. It wasn't. I had liked it. I was some sort of freak. There was something wrong with me. There had to be. I wasn't supposed to fall in love at all in the first place! But I'd fallen for Val. And I couldn't deny it.

Footsteps broke me out of my thoughts.

"Are you alright, Sheik?" Impa's voice asked from the doorway. I looked up at her, then back down at the floor.

"What was going on back there?" She asked, sitting next to me on my bed, "He didn't force anything on you, did he?"

I shook my head. A long pause followed, making me more and more uncomfortable.

"… Is it normal for me to have these feelings for a guy?" I asked hesitantly. One of my aunt's rare smiles faintly flashed across her face.

"It may not be the most common thing, but what's more important is if he makes you happy." She replied. I bit my lip.

"Does being with him make you happy?" She prompted. I smiled.

"Yeah. I like being around him." I said.

"That's what I thought." She said, "Although you don't always seem like you do." I looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Half the time when he talks to you, you snap at him." She said, "either you're annoyed by him…" She paused.

"Or it's got nothing to do with him." She finished, getting up.

"Why did you come home so early, anyway?" I asked.

"As you know, the princess was given into my care just before Ganondorf took over. Things have gotten to a point where it's too dangerous where she is. We're going to have to leave Hyrule proper for a time." She replied, "We're going down into the southern territory. And I need you to do me a favor."

"What?" I asked. What would she need me to do? Nothing came to mind.

"You are to act as the princess' double." She replied, so nonchalantly that I paused for a moment to take in what she'd said.

"WHAT?!" No. No way. There was no way in the Golden Realm I'd ever dress as a _**girl**_. Impa chuckled.

"Don't worry." She said, "You won't have to dress as her most of the time. Actually, it's more like _she's_ going to be _your_ double." I gasped as a figure stepped into my room. It was like looking in a mirror. She wore the same armor-like outfit, her blonde hair tucked into the cowl she wore over her face.

"Hello!" She said in a cheery voice several pitches higher than my own, "I'm Zelda. You must be Sheik. Nice to meet you!" I could do nothing but stare at the girl in shock at first.

"It's nice to meet you as well, your highness." I recovered.

I was stunned. The princess royal of Hyrule was in front of me, dressed like me, about to pretty much take over my life.

"Wait a minute." I said, "You said I wouldn't have to dress like her _most _of the time. What about the other part of that time?" Impa sighed. She clearly didn't like this part.

"I will explain." The princess stated, "This is hopefully only going to happen once. You will be dressed as a noblewoman about my age, one of several doubles I have sent across the kingdom. I feel I should warn you that you are in the most danger, as you will look like me. However, we will be safe as Impa will be shadowing us. I shall come along as you, and, if he so wishes, your boyfriend can come too." I flushed.

"He's not my boyfriend!" I shouted, then, remembering the scene in the doorway, added, "Whether I wish he were or not."

"Either way, he's welcome to join us. Now, we need to get you dressed." She said, subtly trying to learn what she could about me by chattering away at me. I sighed. This was going to be a long trip.

"I feel ridiculous!" I groaned as I was finally coaxed out of my room.

"You look fine, and it's just that you look like me that matters." The princess stated, "Now, take smaller steps. You can't show the fact that you're a warrior." I complied as Val came into view. He looked at the princess almost frantically.

"Sheik!" He said, jumping half a foot into the air and then coming within half a foot of the startled princess, "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have forced you into that. I guess I was just trying to figure out if you felt the same way and I didn't think about if you were ready for something like that or not, please forgive me!" He slumped to the ground in front of her, which might have made me laugh had I not been so embarrassed and just utterly mortified that this little girl could pull off being me very well.

"Val," I said, my voice filled with irritation, "_**I'm**_ Sheik."

"What?" the forlorn boy asked. He looked at me. Then at the princess and back at me, switching his gaze so quickly I thought he might get whiplash. "EH?!?!"

"We're heading into the southern territory. I'm acting as the princess' double." I said, attempting to explain in the least embarrassing way possible, "Do you want to come?"

"S-sure." He replied. He was either surprised that I'd asked him, or… I'd have to beat him within an inch of his life soon.

Within the first day of travel, we came to Lake Hylia. We set up camp on the shore. I changed and came outside to gaze at the stars when the princess went to bed.

"It's beautiful out, isn't it?"

Val's voice startled me at first, but as he came to sit beside me at the water's edge, I calmed myself.

"Yes, it is." I replied.

"Seems like there are stars everywhere when the lake is still." He said smiling. I nodded in agreement.

"I hope you know I'm not angry with you." I said, breaking the silence.

"What?" Val replied.

"I'm not angry about earlier. You seemed to think I was, so I just thought…" I blushed as the memory of that moment came into my mind. Val smiled softly.

"I'm glad you're not." He said, "Was I right, though? Do you feel the same?"

"I… I don't know." I replied, "I don't know how you feel anyway. And as far as what I feel, I'm kind of confused. I like being around you and all, and I'm glad to have you as a friend, but I just don't know if it's more than that…"

"Friends don't kiss, Sheik." He said sadly.

For whatever reason, things just seemed to suddenly shift into place. It didn't matter that it wasn't normal. I no longer cared about any of the things that had clouded my mind before. All I knew was that I wanted to remove that sad look from his eyes.

"Then let's not be friends." I said almost mischievously, and I leaned over, gently turning his head so that our lips could touch. The jolt of electricity that had melted me the first time traveled through me again. I felt the corners of his mouth turn upwards in a smile. This was what we'd both been waiting for. He was mine and I was his, and all was right with the world in that infinitesimal moment.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

IS92: Dang, that was a long chapter. Now before I pass out from exhaustion, I'm going to ask that you review. I know what happens next now (thank the powers that be) But if anyone has some kind of scene they want to see, they're running out of time. If you want to know what I mean by "running out of time", go re-read chapter one. (sorry if I sound a bit grumpy; It's a few hours after I usually go to sleep and I'm about ready to fall asleep on the keyboard….)

Sheik: if you could review, that would be helpful… When she's upset she usually inadvertently (or maybe purposefully) takes it out on her characters, and she's been depressed lately…

Val: SO PLEASE! FOR ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE WORLD, REVIEW!

IS92: *oblivious to what the guys are saying* Time to sleep… Zzzzzzzz…


	5. Chapter 5

IS92: Hey people! It's Chapter 5 already! Just so's you knows, this fic isn't nearly over yet. This is just the end of the first section. I have far more twists and turns for you, my pretties! MWAHAHAHA!!! But just so you don't kill me, I'm gonna warn you. Tragedy occurs soon. I don't like doing stuff like this, I really don't, but this once I have to in order to get the plot moving again.

Sheik: Disclaimer?

IS92: Oh yeah. I don't own nothin. 'Cept Val. Val's mine. On with the show!... er, story.

Chapter Five

As long as Val was nearby, I could handle whatever came my way. Those few weeks I had together with Val were the happiest moments of my life. Nothing could go wrong. But now, it seems that the Goddesses did not wish Val and I to be together.

It seems that way because they stole him from me.

It happened years ago, and to this day I can remember it in vivid detail. The only bright side to it is that I still remember Val's face and voice.

The day started out like any other had on this journey. I got dressed in that stupid dress, we traveled all day, (you wouldn't believe how difficult maneuvering through the southern territory in a dress is. I _don't _understand how women can wear these things all the time.) and we set up camp near a small river. After the princess went to bed, I changed out of that difficult garment and sat near the river with Val. He was staring off into the distance, thinking.

"Rupee for your thoughts." I said, breaking him from his mental prison. He smiled.

"It's really nothing." He replied, "I was just thinking about how close we are to my home." I tilted my head slightly in a way that I knew drove him nuts, raising an eyebrow.

"You're not going to break down on me again, are you?" I asked.

"No." he said, "Because I'm not alone anymore. I have you." I blushed slightly, still slightly unused to his attempts at flirting with me.

"Why do you have to be so cute?" He asked, feigning annoyance. He put his arm around me and swept a piece of my hair out of my eyes. "It's making things very difficult."

"Ah, but would you want it any other way?" I replied. Our lips met for the hundredth time. He broke away to say, "Not for the world, Love." And make that the hundred and first.

Reluctantly, we broke apart as it began to get dark. I could feel my aunt's eyes on me. I'd have to confront her about that. Eventually. At the moment, I was out of breath, as was Val. I fell asleep lying against him not even an hour later, using his chest as my pillow.

Smoke. Heat.

_**Flames.**_

I was awakened in the middle of the night by these things. The tent that the princess was in… it was on fire. I attempted to wake Val, but he wouldn't wake. I dragged him away from the flaming tent, and a bucket was pressed into my hands. I looked up into the stoic face of my aunt Impa.

Everything seemed to happen so quickly.

Impa rushed to get the princess out of the tent. I filled my bucket in the river and tried to douse the flames.

Then _**they**_ appeared.

Moblins. What felt like hundreds of them.

The fighting style of the Sheikah is based in stealth. There was no way that we could deal with so many Moblins at once. I highly doubt Link could on his own, either. Not even now, after defeating the king of evil.

We were surrounded, and the time for any type of thought was long over.

It seemed as if time had slowed down and sped up all at once. I saw the Moblin nearest me begin to charge.

A gasp, a shout and Val was standing over me, fighting furiously to drive off the monsters. I had no idea how I'd ended up on the ground. Pain shot through my right shoulder, and I realized I'd broken something.

"Run!" Val shouted, "I can't hold these guys off much longer!"

"Val…" I breathed, "But what will happen to you?!" He shoved away another Moblin before stabbing it, causing it to disappear in a puff of smoke the way all dead things do.

"I'll be fine! Just go!!" He replied. I could tell it was only a matter of time before they killed him. And so I took the chance he had given me.

"I love you, Val." I said to him as I made a run for it.

"I love you too, Sheik." He replied, and the Moblins descended on him.

I never saw him again.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

IS92: Oh, poor Val! This actually happened much faster than I wanted it to. But I've been warning you from the beginning.

Val: Why did you have to kill _**Me**_?! WHY?!

IS92: At least you didn't go down without a fight.

Val: BUT WHY?!?!

IS92: I had to get to the next arc of the story, ok?! Geez! (yes, there is more. I am only about 1/3 of the way through this fic. ) Soon, I'm gonna set up a poll as to how many of you guys want Val back in the story. (I am the Author, I can do anything I want in this story, even bring people back from the dead!) If enough people vote yes, I'll bring him back. (or if I get enough reviews. Seriously, I only want like 10.)

Val: For the sake of my non-existent life, please review… T-T


	6. Chapter 6

IS92: Ah, Chapter 6. Another break from the major storyline, I suppose. A break from the flashbacks at least. This thing is getting long compared to what I ordinarily do. I counted up how many pages I'd typed and it totaled to 14 pages! I was like O-O 'Holy crap, I've written a lot!' Just my opinions on the story so far, Sheik gets too melodramatic sometimes. Oh, And I suppose you may be confused about what the heck was going on in the gloom and doom section of chapter five. (I know if it was someone else's story and I read that, I'd be very 'WTF?') It was supposed to seem frantic and confusing. That kind of mood reflects Sheik's feelings at the time, as well as his mental state.

Anyway, I don't own nothin, so let's get on with the story and make me stop rambling about nothing!

Chapter 6

"What's wrong?" Link asked, helping me up from beside the river.

"It's nothing." I replied, "Really." He gave me a look that told me he didn't believe me and left it at that. In the four years I'd known him, Link had changed a lot. My mind traveled into the past as we began our trek towards the castle again.

After I had lost Val, I spent a full year taking out my grief on pieces of wood, training dummies and eventually myself. Then the princess told me of my new assignment.

I was to wait at the Temple of Time for the arrival of the Hero.

I memorized the speeches I was to give him at the different temples. I waited, and waited, and waited. For a while, it seemed as if the Hero would not appear.

It took almost a year and a half for him to show up. The bright blue light of the Sacred Realm signified his return to the land.

Link.

The Hero of Time.

As he stepped out of the beam, his fairy questioned the words of the Sage of Light. I took it as my cue, stepping from the shadows.

"I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time…"

Link unsheathed his sword and turned to face me, as if I were an enemy.

"'When evil rules all, an awakening voice will call those destined to be Sages, who dwell in the five temples.

One in a deep forest…

One on a high mountain…

One under a vast lake…

One within the house of the dead…

One inside a goddess of the sand…

Together with the Hero of Time, the awakened ones will bind the evil and return the light of peace to the world…'

This is the legend of the temples passed down by my people the Sheikah." I recited.

"Who are you?" He asked. The look on his face was so childlike and confused.

"I am Sheik, Survivor of the Sheikahs." I replied. Even then, I trusted him almost completely. At that point, he was still just a child trapped in an adult's body. I couldn't help feeling pity for him. He didn't notice me smile wistfully beneath my cowl. The poor fool had no idea what he was getting himself into.

"As I see you standing there, holding the mythical Master Sword, you really do look like the legendary Hero of Time…" I mused.

"Well, Sheik, as you seem to know so much, what should I do next?" He asked. His voice was strong, unfalteringly so. Cynical as I had become, I began to truly believe that perhaps this boy in a man's body possibly could be the one the Goddesses had sent to deliver us from the reign of the evil king.

"If you believe the legend, then you have no choice. You must look for the five temples and awaken the five sages." I replied. He still looked confused, so I decided to help him a little more. "One sage is waiting for the time of awakening in the Forest Temple. The sage is a girl I am sure you know."

"Saria…" He breathed.

"Because of the evil power in the Temple, she cannot hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm…" I continued, "Unfortunately, equipped as you currently are, you cannot even enter the temple… But if you believe what I'm saying, you should head to Kakariko Village… Do you understand, Link?"

"I'll head there now. But…" He said, curiosity coloring his voice, "How did you know my name?" I could have laughed.

"I've known of you for a very long time, Hero." I replied, "Be careful out there. This land is not the Hyrule you once knew." He smiled, and I felt blood rush to my face for the first time in years.

I'd thought I'd grown out of that habit.

"I will do my best." He said. And he left.

I was alone with my thoughts again. And this time, instead of being filled with my own regrets, they were filled by him. His voice, his face, the way his smile lit up his features. But the trait my mind most frequently drifted to as I awaited his possible return was his eyes. Those bright blue eyes like the waters of Lake Hylia had once been.

All at once, I was driven by a mad desire to see him. It went beyond any emotion I had ever felt. But I had to wait for him… Wasn't there a way I could go to see him? I felt like someone addicted to the strong ale brewed in the southern territories, and yet I didn't seem to care at all.

That was when I remembered the other part of the role I was to play in relation to the Hero.

I swore aloud. My daydreaming was going to be the death of me.

* * *

After a run through a field, a town and a forest that would have tired the marathon man, I finally stumbled into the Sacred Forest Meadow.

Link wasn't there yet.

I silently cursed myself for thinking he may have been that fast.

And then there were footsteps.

Despite the screaming of my muscles for repose, I darted back into the trees before I could be seen.

My Hero… I mean, The Hero, stepped into the clearing just outside the Forest Temple. He gave a gasp as he saw the empty stump where I guessed his friend usually sat. His body tensed and I realized he was holding back tears.

My heart broke at the sight. I wanted to wrap my arms around him, to comfort him. To tell him that everything would be alright. I wanted to taste the tears on his face as I reassured him with my actions that he was not as alone as he felt.

But what was I thinking? There was no way that I could ever do such a thing!

The way that he had reacted to his friend's disappearance had proven the fact that he was still a child mentally. If I were to do something as forward as kissing him, I'd undoubtedly do far more harm than good. But I had to do something! So I jumped down from my hiding place and spoke.

"The flow of time is always cruel." I said, trying to comfort him, "Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it." He looked at me. The tears I'd known were present were still streaming lightly down his face.

"A thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days." I continued, "In order to come back here again, play the Minuet of Forest." I began to strum the soft, uplifting melody on my lyre, and he echoed it on the Ocarina of Time. When he played it, he made me seem as if I knew nothing about my own instrument.

As the last note of the melody faded into silence, I put away my lyre.

"Link… I'll see you again."

It broke my heart again to leave him like that, just vanishing in the flash of a Deku Nut. He needed someone to be there for him. And I wanted to, I really did.

But I couldn't.

He still needed to grow up mentally. And the quickest way was for him to fend for himself a little while longer, in a far darker world.

* * *

IS92: Oh! Poor Link! He has to deal with so much loss so quickly.

Val: Well, he can just put a sock in it. *glares at Link*

IS92: You're just jealous 'cuz he's the object of Sheik's affections right now and not you. Course, you can't exactly blame Sheik. I mean, you DID practically vanish out of his life for good…

Val: *still glaring at Link*

IS92: He never listens to reason. Or at least, MY reason.

Sheik: *glares at Val*

Val: *goes off to sulk*

Link: *OBLIVIOUS!* (Sheik is being distracting… :P)

IS92: Don't worry, Val, he still loves you… I think. Haha. Anyway, please review! I'd like to thank Hoshi-tamashi for their review. It's really nice to know that I baked imaginary cookies for people who review! :) Which you might want to do soon, as Val is eyeing the cookies and… Hey! I didn't say you could have one, Val! Well, while I deal with this guy, maybe check out my poll? I'm still having it go on, but the deadline is coming up soon. I'm going to try to put up at least a chapter a week from now on, so hopefully it works out... So thank you all for reading, and please continue to follow Sheik's little misadventures. Ja mata ne!

P.S.: Le GASP! I realized that I put up an unfinished chapter last time I updated! I apologize for my non-thoroughness and idiocy in just posting everything I had typed up. Cuz that's what happened. I thought I'd stopped at the end of a chapter and apparently I'd stopped in the middle. GOMEN NASAI! I'm sorry, peoples!


	7. Chapter 7

IS92: OMG! Ch. 7! I get that this little section seems very emo, but the oh-so-cute fluff will return in a few chapters. Perhaps even sooner. It depends on whether Sheik decides to agree with me or not, so I really don't know. It was hard enough to get Sheik and Val together. I wonder if it will be harder or easier to get him and the Hero together. Only time will tell I guess… So read on, dear readers!

Disclaimer: I don't own, so no sue.

* * *

Ch. 7

I returned to the Temple of Time, waiting for the Hero. I collapsed against a wall in a daze. The cool, smooth stone of the wall against my back did nothing to bring me to reality. His face still clung vividly to my mind. WHY?!! Why did his visage haunt me so? Those sad, ocean-blue eyes had shattered my heart. Why did he affect me so when I'd only met him twice? I leaned against the wall, playing my lyre until it fell from my hands as I finally found I could fight sleep no more.

I was awakened later by the sound of soft footsteps. I pulled myself together as quickly as I could.

As he entered the room, he had a sad smile on his face.

"You destroyed the wicked creatures that haunted the temple and awakened the sage…" I stated, unable to keep the joy that came with the hope he caused out of my voice.

"Yes! I did!" He said, unbearably excited. He seemed like such a child.

"But there are still other sages who need your help." I reminded him, making him settle down, "In order to awaken all the other sages, you must become even more powerful. You must travel over mountains… under water… and even through time… If you want to return to your original time, return the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time. By doing this, you will travel back in time seven years…" His jaw dropped. I guess the idea of traveling through time was impressive to him. I continued without hesitation.

"The time will come when you have to return here quickly… I will teach this to you for when that time comes… The song to return you to the Temple of Time… The Prelude of Light…" The sweet melody hung in the air, uplifting as ever. It managed to bring a smile to his face, a real one this time.

"As long as you hold the Ocarina of Time and the Master Sword, you hold time itself in your hands…" I finished, smiling slightly, "Link, we shall meet again!"

"Of course." He promised before I vanished in a flash of light.

I didn't go very far. In fact, I was just hiding in the shadows. I wondered whether or not he would go back in time. His eyes grew soft and he smiled, turning to leave the temple.

I followed.

I didn't want to leave him. However, it was forbidden for me to help him outside of my role as his guide. I had been ordered not to interfere; he had to finish this journey alone. It tore at my heartstrings once again to admit this, but I would probably only be in his way. I didn't want the Hero to end up like Val because of me. I shouldn't have thought that. That name opened up wounds that were too deep to heal. I forced the thought out of my mind and left. I returned to the forest just outside Hyrule's borders, where the Princess was hidden. I was lucky enough that time. There were no monsters to delay me.

I entered the small shack and sighed. At least the princess wasn't practically attacking me for news of her beloved Hero.

At that moment, I ate my words. She bounced up to me, excited as ever. As gifted with wisdom as she was, she still acted so childish.

"So, so? Is he alright? He defeated the monster, didn't he?" She asked. She obviously wanted to hear every detail I would give her.

"He has freed the first sage and I've taught him two of the melodies. I'm sorry Princess, but I'm afraid I'm not going into more detail than that." My tone fluctuated from calm to irritated and settled somewhere in-between as my eye began to twitch.

"Sheik?" She asked quietly, "Are you okay?" I sighed and allowed myself to fall backward onto a simple wooden chair.

"No, Princess, I daresay I'm not." I replied.

"Tell me what's wrong. And I thought I told you to call me Zelda."

"You wouldn't understand, _Princess._"

"Sheik, you're so stuffy! We're out in the middle of nowhere and you're still referring to me by my title! And how do you know I wouldn't understand? I've known you for years. And it's not like I'm a child anymore." I sighed, standing once more.

"I'll be outside if you need me." I replied.

I took my lyre outside and strummed a few chords. The soft harmony had always calmed me in the past, and the effect was still there, although muted.

That was, until a shrill voice started whining at me. Again.

"Sheik, please talk to me," The princess pleaded, "You're just pushing me and everyone else away because you're depressed."

"I'm always depressed, Princess." I replied, as indifferent as ever to her frustration.

"Yes, but it's worse than usual today." She said, "Something's really bothering you. If you talk about it you'll feel better…"

I tried to ignore her, grateful that my aunt wasn't around at the moment.

"Come on, Sheik. I want to help you." The tone in her voice, the pure sincerity of it, subdued my annoyance momentarily. I sighed.

"I don't exactly know how to explain this… I'm very… confused on the matter myself, Princess. I want to approach him, to get to know him as a friend even, but it is forbidden outside my role. I'm afraid I'm living a paradox between duty and desire." I chuckled mirthlessly as it dawned on me once again how ridiculously twisted the world really was.

"I realize I told you that he had to face the dangers of the temples alone, but I never said that you couldn't allow yourself to get closer to him." She replied, seemingly unaware of the true meaning behind my words.

"I speak not of my duty to you, your highness, but of my duty to myself and those I care about."

She stared at me, her face contorted into a lack of understanding. I returned to my lyre, strumming a few chords to relieve my frustrations. I could practically hear the click as the princess finally understood my reasoning.

"You love him." She stated, almost amazed.

Genuine fear shot through my stomach. Now that she knew, what would she say? One of the reasons I'd kept it a secret specifically from her was the fact that she could cause me all sorts of grief if I offended her. And I knew she had a crush on the Hero.

"He reminds you of the one you lost, and so your affections have turned to him." She said knowingly. I turned to look at her, all the while making sure I stayed out of arm's reach. "And you don't want to hurt him or yourself by letting your affections grow." The princess was getting far too insightful for my liking.

"If you need me, I will be resting for a while, Princess." I stated impassively, brushing her comment to the side, "I should have to if I am to reach the Hero in a few days' time. He has been working very hard lately, and I'm afraid I may not be able to report as often if he keeps up his pace." I tried to excuse myself gracefully, but she caught my arm and held to it tightly, erasing any possibility of escape.

"Approach him, Sheik." She said quietly, "You never know what will happen. If the Goddesses will it, so shall it be."

"If you say so, Princess." I replied, extracting my arm from her grasp.

* * *

IS92: So I realize I've been taking forever with this story. It's really long and I'd imagine kinda hard to read for some people, I apologize. I've had stuff to do and I haven't been able to access fanfiction for a while. Oh, and my other stories haven't died yet, for those who are reading both them and this, I just have more inspiration for this one than for my others. This one's heating up a bit and the others, well… I just haven't had all that many ideas for them lately. So if anyone out there is wondering when I'll work on the others, I really don't know. It could be right after I finish this one. It could be later; it could be earlier. I have writing ADD that way. I switch the story I'm working on depending on my mood. Plus I really have quite a bit written out, which my friend looks over before I post, so none of it is typed up. Okay, enough of my ranting. Anything to say, Sheik?

Sheik: Well, I realize I sound gloomy and depressed all the time right now, as I have for a while, but this point in my life was really bittersweet, so that's just the way it works. It's the way it happened. I promise it won't be gloom and doom forever.

Link: Why do I barely talk here anymore?

IS92: Well, You're more in the background right now, Link. Ok, peoples, please review! I'll get more up soon!


	8. Chapter 8

IS92: Okay, it's Chapter 8! I really haven't thought much about what's gonna happen here… so I'm sorry if it sounds a little repetitive. Things will start changing once Sheik decides to step out of the stupid rut he's been in. That's gonna happen soon, as long as Sheik agrees with me.

Anyway, no own, no sue and all that crap.

* * *

Ch. 8

If there was one thing I truly hated about this place, it was the heat. The lava beneath my craggy perch heated the entire cavern so much my blood could have boiled.

I was waiting for the Hero to arrive once again.

As I waited, I contemplated Zelda's suggestion. Perhaps I… No. Even if I did say something to him, there was no guarantee he would accept me. I didn't feel I could handle the rejection yet.

I heard the clang of metal against stone, as well as a curse as the Hero missed the wooden pole he had been aiming at with his hookshot. As he crossed the bridge, I leapt down onto it behind him.

"Sheik!" He cried, startled by my sudden appearance. I was tempted to deviate from my role once again, so I began to recite my speech, closing away what I really wanted to say behind a wall of rehearsed words.

"It is something that grows over time… A true friendship. A feeling in the heart that becomes even stronger over time… The passion of friendship will soon blossom into a righteous power, and through it you will know which way to go… This song is dedicated to the power of the heart… Listen to the Bolero of Fire…" I pulled out my lyre and strummed the chords until he joined in. The sweet, determined, fiery sounds echoed throughout the cavern, rising towards the sky and filling the space around us.

For once, I was happy. The music lifted my heart out of its depression. The effect was momentary, however as the duet ended as suddenly as it had begun.

Link…" I started, wanting desperately to talk to him. He looked at me expectantly, curiously.

"I'll see you again…" I finished. I stepped back and his eyes widened.

"Sheik, wait!" He shouted as I blinked away. Luckily, flames blocked off his route to me as they shot up through the bridge we were standing on.

"Don't leave me." He mumbled as he gazed at the place I had been moments before.

(IS92: This next section is in Link's P.O.V. I really didn't want to leave this out, but I didn't want to make it its own chapter, so I just added it in here.)

"I don't get it, Navi." I said, leaping across a gap in the stone floor, "Why does he just show up so suddenly and then disappear?" The little fairy sighed. Since I'd grown older, she seemed less annoyed by my questions and I guess a small friendship had grown between us. I dropped a bomb next to the switch I knew could extinguish the ring of fire around the grate I could use to climb to the upper level.

"Careful, Link!" she yelled at me as I nearly got burned. I rolled my eyes. She worried too much.

"I really couldn't tell you why." She squeaked in her extremely high-pitched voice, "But I can tell there's something wrong. He always seems troubled and nervous when he shows up."

"Huh. Maybe he's shy or something… Ack!" A keese nearly hit me in the face. I swatted it away with my sword.

"Or maybe he just doesn't like you." Navi said, dodging as I swatted at her with my sword.

"I dunno, Navi." I said, looking out across the chasm I now stood on the edge of, "I just don't know."

A little time later… (IS92: days, people, days. And now we're back to Sheik.)

"It's f-f-freezing in here." I muttered to myself, shivering, "What h-h-happened here?" the entirety of Zora's domain was frozen. Not a soul was visible. But a dull thumping noise echoed throughout the cavern, so I knew that I was not alone. I walked out onto the sheet of ice that had formed over the water. A sick shock shot through me as I looked beneath my feet.

The faces of hundreds of Zoras looked up at me, most frozen in some form of terror. Only one was moving. The Zora princess was as of yet unfrozen, but from the looks of it, it wouldn't be the case for long. She was pounding against the ice with her fist.

I motioned for her to stay back, then broke through the ice with my foot, making an opening just big enough for her to fit through. I grasped her hand as it reached through the hole and pulled her out, the ice closing rapidly.

"Are you alright?" I asked her as I held her to me, trying to warm her.

"Y-y-y-y-yes, I th-th-th-th-think s-s-so." She replied, her teeth chattering and making her stutter. The poor girl. She was clearly not all right just yet. I would have felt sorrier for her if something about her didn't strike some inner chord with me and simply annoy me to death. I picked her up in my arms bridal style.

"W-What are you doing?" she asked, blushing a bit. She seemed a little startled and I couldn't help but laugh a little as she clung to my neck.

"I can't exactly leave you here; you'd freeze to death." I replied, walking towards the entrance to the domain. "I'm going to bring you to the lake. The Hero will need your help soon. You are to wait for him at the Water Temple." I was grateful that she was freezing most of the way. It meant that she was quiet, and she had been rumored to be quite the chatterbox. Still, it was rather strange to carry the Zoran princess so far, but she would have slowed me down too much if I hadn't. With the rate that the Hero was defeating the monsters in the temples, I could barely keep up. It took a day and a half to finally reach the lake.

"Here we are. Lake Hylia." I said, finally setting her down. "The temple is at the lake bottom, as I'm sure you know. I would accompany you further, however I must return to the domain so as to relay more instructions to the Hero. No doubt he shall need them on getting here. Be careful, Milady, for monsters lurk within." She gave me a look and I chuckled. I'd attempted a rare joke and apparently she didn't find it funny. I figured she'd be alright on her own. She was a very spirited girl, and from what I'd been told, she used to venture through the insides of that huge fish, Jabu-Jabu, all the time when she was younger. Surely she'd be safe enough inside a temple.

"Farewell, Milady." I said to her, and I left, making another trek across the field. This time, I stopped to rest. My eyelids drooped, and sleep overcame me…

Darkness. A single spotlight lit me, as if on a stage.

The single spotlight exploded, revealing a mist-filled room.

_Clang!_ Metal crashed against metal. The fog cleared to show the two combatants.

The Hero was fighting a dark, twisted version of himself, a demon with crimson eyes that seemed illuminated by some otherworldly force.

Link was fast, light on his feet as always, but the demon was faster. There was a sick _thunk!_ as steel pierced flesh, and the Hero's blood flowed to the ground, the point of the demon's sword showing through his back.

I began to feel dizzy. I wanted to scream.

A presence appeared behind me, but I couldn't move to face it.

"You're next, Sheikah boy." A soft sibilant voice said from behind me.

I sat bolt upright, waking up in a cold sweat.

"What a strange dream…" I said to myself, watching the sun rise over the edge of the field. It had startled me so much. I'd not had a nightmare like that in quite some time. "Well, I'm not going to be able to sleep now. I may as well get moving." I got to my feet, shaking off the lingering terrors of the nightmare.

* * *

IS92: Ooh! Creepy! I'm kind of wondering what's going to happen…

Sheik: Shouldn't you know? I mean, YOU'RE the one writing this thing.

IS92: Yeah, and I do, I just don't know everything… I'm making some of this up as I go… -_-' I still don't know the ending yet…

Sheik: Well, that's great.

IS92: Shut up, Major Sarcasm. Well, please review! I love to hear what you guys think! See you in chapter nine!


	9. Chapter 9

IS92: Hello! I hope you guys are liking the story. Thanks for bearing with me during the not-so-exciting parts. I kinda had to set this stuff up, and that's always the not-fun part. It should be better now until Sheik decides to disagree with me again.

Sheik: It's not my fault you're stubborn.

IS92: I just wish I'd made you less stubborn. Anyway. No own, no sue and all that crap. Enjoy! ^-^

* * *

Chapter 9

I hate the cold. I hate it with a passion. So I was not too happy to learn that I had to catch up with the Hero in an ice-coated cavern.

But I had a job to do, so I entered the frost-ridden cave. I wasn't surprised to find it abnormally safe. The Master Sword had not chosen Link as the Hero for nothing.

I raced through the cavern, searching for him. As I neared what I presumed to be the end of the cavern, I slipped on the ice, nearly falling into a nearby pit.

_That was close… another few feet and I'd have fallen to my doom._ I thought, but I shook off the idea and continued on, not realizing how important such a thing could be later on.

I finally found him at the deepest area of the cavern, watching the body of the white wolfos he had just killed vanish into thin air.

"We meet again, Link…"

He turned to face me, finally relaxing slightly as he realized I was no enemy. I noticed that part of his tunic was torn, and that he was not only slightly out of breath but slightly hurt as well. He had several scratches along one arm, something I guessed had happened during his battle with the wolfos.

"Hello, Sheik." He replied, the same easy smile he usually wore appearing on his face.

"If you came here to meet the Zoras, you wasted your time… This is all there is…" I said, gesturing at the icy walls, "With one exception, the Zoras are now sealed under this thick ice sheet…"

"Wait, someone escaped?" He asked, his eyes growing wide. I nodded in response.

"I managed to rescue the Zora princess from under the ice, but… She left to head for the Water Temple…" I replied, pretending that I had nothing to do with the fact. After all, as headstrong as the Zora princess was, it was no stretch of the imagination to think that she would attempt to save her people on her own.

"It figures that it would be the crazy one." He said bluntly, with such a crestfallen look on his face that I almost couldn't keep my composure.

"This ice is created by an evil curse… The monster in the Water Temple is the source of the curse. Unless you shut off the source, this ice will never melt…"

That same determination I had seen in his eyes before returned as I continued.

"If you have courage enough to confront the danger and save the Zoras, I will teach you the melody that leads to the Temple." He nodded, focused again by the goal of future peace. It was a great goal, one I admired him for.

"Time passes, people move… Like a river's flow, it never ends… A childish mind will turn to noble ambition… Young love will become deep affection… The clear water's surface reflects growth… Now listen to the Serenade of Water to reflect upon yourself…"

"The chords of the melody lifted into the air, flying towards the heavens. The waterfall of sound finally finished flowing and I put away my lyre, silently wishing that I could stay for longer than this. I looked him in the eyes.

"Link… I'll see you again…" I stated, backing away so he wouldn't be too affected by the Deku Nut.

"W-Wait!"

He caught me just before I'd blinked away, catching me completely off-guard. I hesitated. For a split second, I entertained the thought that maybe he felt the same way. That he sincerely wanted me to stay just to be with me. But I dismissed that thought as soon as it crept into my mind. I couldn't. I just couldn't stay without harming him. And that was the last thing I wanted to do.

"Do you always have to disappear right after you teach me a melody?" He asked. I would have cursed under my breath had he not been so close. As it were, he would have heard me. He must have noticed my hesitation and misinterpreted it.

"I'm sorry, Hero." I replied, "This is my role. I am to guide you, nothing more."

That was when I made a mistake. Instead of blinking away like I usually would have, I simply walked through the door. I figured I could use the fresh air. Things were getting a bit too difficult for my tastes.

"Sheik!" He called out after me. I sighed and turned to face him as he sprinted towards me.

_You know, he could get seriously hurt, running on ice like that…_ I thought.

"Uwoah!" He shouted as the momentum of his sprint carried him forward… to the edge of a hole in the ice-sheet floor of the cavern.

Needless to say, I didn't have much time to think after that. Link was falling fast towards the bottom of the chasm. I dove for him, just barely catching him by the hand. I clutched at the limb, hoping to every deity that I knew of that I wouldn't lose my grip. As it was, I was in danger of being pulled down with him.

"Hold on, Link!" I shouted.

"There's really not much else I can do down here…" His voice echoed up to me.

_Great… _I thought, _He chooses now to be a comedian._ At least I'd bought some time. I looked around frantically for some kind of handhold I could use to pull Link out of the hole without falling in myself. Unfortunately, there were none to be found.

Swearing under my breath, I pulled out the slim blade I had tucked beneath my tabard.

With a prayer to the Goddesses, I stabbed it into the ice sheet, hoping that it wouldn't crack the ice off completely. When I realized that it would hold the weight, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief, lifting the Hero out of the pit with the handhold I'd made. When I knew that he was safe for the moment, I collapsed backwards from stress and exhaustion.

"You…*pant**pant* IDIOT!!!" I screamed at him as I tried to catch my breath. "You're… so reckless! You could… have DIED! … Did you even think about what could have happened?!"

He just looked at me for a while, clearly hurt by my words.

"I just wanted to talk to you…" He replied, eyes downcast. I sighed.

_Well, I suppose I've already deviated from my role._ I thought, _If something is going to happen, then there's nothing I can do about it now._

"Alright, Hero. Let's just get out of this frozen deathtrap." I said, "It wouldn't do to spend more time here than absolutely necessary." I shivered, wishing that my outfit were a little thicker.

"Okay!" he said, grabbing my wrist, "Come on!" he led me through the icy passageways, urging me on with an energy I wouldn't have expected moments ago. The childish joy on his face at having found a new companion shone brighter than the sun, and I simply couldn't stay angry with him. Now that I think of it, he has always had that quality, and it annoys the dark world out of me. For instance, he completely ruined my tabard once (I found it charred under a rock. Apparently, he'd been trying to blow up this rockfall which had been behind the laundry.) and I was so angry with him I could have killed him. But he just smiled at me embarrassedly, looked me in the eyes and apologized and I melted like butter. But I digress. All I could think about was the way his eyes were shining as the Hero led me out of that frozen deathtrap and into the sun.

"Oh wow. I didn't even realize how cold it was in there." He said, and I sighed.

"You really are clueless sometimes." I said, gazing at the drop to the iceberg below, "It's truly a wonder that the Master Sword chose you as the Hero of Time." I took the leap, landing on the iceberg, even though I almost slipped and fell off. I didn't want to think about what would happen if I had fallen. I wasn't and still am not the strongest swimmer when I'm in over my head. Ripples drifted away over the smooth surface of the pond.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" He asked, looking down at me.

"I just would have thought that the Master Sword would have picked someone with a little more common sense, that's all." I replied coolly, "Seeing as you're still alive, however, it would seem you're doing just fine." I suppose he could see the smile I mockingly wore beneath my cowl, because he blushed slightly, like he was embarrassed.

"Like you're any better, Mr. Disappear-without-saying-a-word." He retorted as he jumped down to where I stood.

"At least I didn't nearly fall down a bottomless pit."

"Oh yeah? At least I don't wear blue spandex!"

"Yeah. You wear white."

He just glared at me. I suppose he couldn't come up with a response to that one. I was grateful for that, too, as I probably wouldn't have been able to make another comeback either.

"Let's just get going." I said, leaping elegantly to the next iceberg, "Like I said earlier, the next Temple is in Lake Hylia."

I could feel his eyes on me as I started to leave. I turned around to look him in the eyes.

"Well?" I asked, arching an eyebrow, "Are you coming or not?"

He hesitated for a moment. I'd guess that he was trying to figure out if I was serious or not. I vaguely wondered if I'd hurt his feelings.

But he simply looked at me, the expression on his face caught halfway between laughter and incredulity.

"Sheik," he said, chuckling, "you are probably the strangest person I've ever met."

"Oh just hurry up already." I muttered, turning red.

* * *

IS92: And so they have finally started travelling together! :) I had fun writing their argument at the end.

Link: Why did you make us bicker?

IS92: You just seem like you would. And Sheik has become jaded over time, so he acts unusually bitchy.

Sheik: I do not!

IS92: Do too.

Sheik: DO NOT!

IS92 & Link: DO TOO!

IS92: XD But Link forgives him in the end. :) This section has been unusually warm-fuzzies. Or at least the end of this section was. Well, please review! I love to hear from you guys, even if I don't always sound like I do.

Sheik: Don't do it! It makes her ego grow!

IS92: I HEARD THAT! (Even though it's true… ^-^' )

Sheik: See you all in Chapter 10 if she doesn't kill me first!


	10. Chapter 10

IS92: I have hit a milestone. This is the first fic I've ever written where the tenth chapter hasn't been close to the end! I am so proud of myself! XD

Sheik: Yes, be proud of yourself. You've managed to torture me for 10 full chapters by the time this is up.

IS92: Oh, don't worry, Sheik. You're going to have a change in luck soon. Maybe.

Sheik: What's that supposed to mean?

IS92: Anyway, no own no sue and on with the show!

Sheik: Will you ever answer my questions?

IS92: Will you ever shut up? Oh, by the way, peoples, I now have a beta for this fic! ^-^ I'd like to thank my close friend, Lady Faye Rosethorn for spending her time listening to my crazy ramblings. This fic would probably end up a lot shorter without her. XD She noticed a way I could continue the fic that I never would have thought of. Anyway, I should probably stop rambling now so the story can start again, huh?

Sheik: You think?

IS92: Shut up, Sheik.

Ch. 10

This trip just couldn't get any better, could it?

No, I thought not.

Currently the Hero and I had been traveling for ages, or so it seemed. We had finally arrived at the shores of Lake Hylia this afternoon, and we were setting up our campsite for the night. We hadn't talked much over our journey beyond arguing over which way it had been to Lake Hylia from where we had been.

Not to say I didn't enjoy the view, of course. I spent half the trip staring at the Hero, who was incredibly attractive for someone so childish. His intense focus as he caught wild cucco and then his frustration when he lost them made me fight laughter several times.

"Sheik!" The Hero called, breaking me from my thoughts, "Could you help me out over here?" He gestured to the fire. I sighed in annoyance. He'd been using me as a human flint since I'd showed him that spell a while ago.

"You really need to learn this on your own." I said to him, "I'll show you one more time, First, concentrate your energy, then release it through your fingertips, willing it to do what you want it to. Like this." I knelt down next to the fire pit and muttered, "Din's Fire." A small spark shoot from my finger, lighting the kindling.

"Next time, you do it on your own." I said, "I'm not going to be there to help you all the time." That got his attention. When I looked at his expression, he had paled like he was afraid.

"What do you mean Sheik?" He asked. I grabbed a stick and poked at the fire, trying to figure out how to explain it. I didn't want to hurt his feelings, and, Goddesses know, I didn't want to leave him. But I couldn't foresee a way for that to happen.

"Well… You're the Hero, Link. You're going to have to face some things on your own." I said, not daring to meet his eyes anymore, "I'm not going to be able to help you defeat the Evil King. It's outside of my role as your guide." I finally chanced a glance at him. His expression was not depressed, as I had feared, but one of confusion.

"Why do you care so much about staying in your role as my guide?" He asked, "Haven't you already gone outside of that role?" I knew he was thinking of when he had almost fallen to his doom.

"That may be so, but I'm afraid I can't always act as your safety net in times like that, Hero. What if I hadn't been close enough to catch you?" I replied, "I'm just an ordinary person, after all…. What?" When I had said I was ordinary, his expression had changed, and he had tensed a little, like he was holding himself back.

"Nothing." He stated simply, refusing to say anything more on the subject. Before I fell asleep that night, I couldn't help but wonder what he had been about to say.

The ashes of the fire were still slightly smoking the next morning. After a meal of fish caught in Zora's River, we headed towards the temple uncontested.

The water of Lake Hylia was frigid, and I honestly felt like I was going to drown before the door to the temple opened enough for us to slip inside. But we surfaced in the main hall before anything happened. As I caught my breath, Link voiced both of our minds.

"Whoa."

The sheer vastness of the water temple was enough to amaze the unwary. Three floors were visible, one in front of us above the water level, and two submerged below. A large tower was the only decoration given the room, aside from several torches. It was the largest building I had seen in a long time, dwarfed only by Hyrule Castle. I knelt down by the water's edge to see if I could see the bottom, wondering exactly how deep it was. However, I hadn't noticed the danger I was putting myself in in doing so.

A single tektite wouldn't seem like a huge danger to most, and had I seen it, it wouldn't have even provided a challenge. However, it had been sitting across the watery chasm, and when I had tried to see the bottom, I hadn't seen it, but it had seen me. A couple scratching noises were all the warning I had before it leapt at me.

"Sheik! Look out!" Link shouted, drawing his sword.

But he was too late.

I had looked up at the tektite just in time to see it land on my head and knock me into the water.

Now, don't get me wrong, I do know how to swim, and I can hold my breath for quite a while when I want to, but faced with the depths of the Water Temple, I was in over my head. Whether it was the shock of the blow, or just the frigid temperature of the water, I couldn't seem to move. At least, not enough to save myself. My vision began to go black as I drowned.

_Goddesses! Please don't tell me this is it! I haven't even told him!_

It seemed that this was what the Goddesses meant to happen. I couldn't save myself and there was no one who would save me. Just before I lost consciousness, however, I felt something- or someone- grab ahold of me.

I woke coughing up water. Link was staring at me, watching me intensely as I sat up. I was so tired.

"Are you alright, Sheik?" he asked, his face only inches from mine. I could feel myself turning red.

"Y-yes, I'm fine." I said, reaching up to adjust my cowl. I hoped that the fabric would hide my blush… until skin touched skin and I realized I was unshielded. Heat rose within my stomach in anger that the Hero would do such a thing as remove my cowl without my permission.

"I had to take it off of your face…" he said as a way of apology, "It was sticking to you and making it harder for you to breathe." The lack of the fabric that usually obscured my expressions made me feel horribly exposed. I wanted to be angry with him, but as per usual, I couldn't.

"By the way…" He started, and I was nervous about what would come next, "Why do you wear that thing anyway? It's like you're hiding; like you're embarrassed."

A small hitch of my breath and my mind was in another place, another time.

"_Why do you keep yourself hidden?" He asked, a faint smile softening his features, "You have a very nice face. The way you constantly hide, it's like you're embarrassed."_

My heart fluttered. What was this? Why were these feelings welling up within me? Why now? And why did he remind me of… of…

"Sheik? Are you sure you're okay?" Simple words broke me from my reverie. I felt a slight wetness around my eyes and realized that I had been crying. Wiping away the tears, I took a breath to calm myself before I spoke.

"I'm fine." I replied, but my voice, the traitor that it was, cracked and revealed my lie.

"What's wrong? Was it something I said?"

I shook my head, trying to suppress the emotions that were threatening to break me down.

"Please tell me." He pleaded, "It'll make you feel better if you do."

"I-I can't." I said, "I'm sorry, but I just can't, Hero."

"Why not?" He asked, "It's just me. No one's anywhere near here." He gestured around himself at the practically empty room.

"I know, I know, it's not that, it's just… I don't think I can handle it right now." Silence hung in the air, suffocating in its volume. I couldn't take the way he was looking at me. I hadn't asked for his pity!

Yet, there he was, his deep blue eyes piercing through the façade to the depths of my heart. I could have lost myself in those eyes… except that was when he decided that we should get moving again. He slipped into the water with a splash and started to dive down into the depths. He must have realized that I wasn't there, because after a few moments, he surfaced again.

"Are you coming?" He asked. The question brought a small smile to my face due to the sheer absurdity of it all.

"I'm afraid I can't breathe underwater like you can, Hero. I won't be able to help you right now." I replied.

"Oh. Okay." He looked slightly upset by the fact. He started to swim away again, but stopped short.

"You know, you should smile more often." He said, breaking into a grin, "It really suits you."

As he finally left the room, I stared at the water. He really did know exactly what to say. It amazed me that he could see through me so well. Cowl or none, it was a rare event when someone could read me as well as he could. The last one had been… My mind instantly brought his visage to the forefront. He was exactly the same as the last time I'd seen him, fighting his hardest for my sake. Dying for my sake.

_No! Stop it, Sheik. There's no use in feeling this way when he's been dead and gone for years already!_

I shut the image from my mind and sat down to wait for the Hero's return.

It felt like hours later when Link finally returned. I'd started feeling ill from watching the water rise and lower more times than I cared to count. At first, he startled me. I gasped and readied my blade as I realized that something was approaching me, though I knew not what. As he broke the surface, taking a deep breath of air, I let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey! Don't point that thing at me!" He shouted. I chuckled a little at the look on his face.

"I'm sorry. " I laughed, "I didn't realize it was you."

"You didn't have to scare me like that, though!"

"Hey, I said I was sorry." I replied, raising an eyebrow, "Would you rather I were unprepared and a monster had attacked me?" The look on his face told me that he understood my point.

"Anyway, what happened down there? Did you find anything?" I asked. His face brightened.

"Well, I found these!" He exclaimed, holding up a pair of old, partly rusted keys, "Oh, and I saw Ruto. She was the one who showed me how to change the water level."

That Damn fish-woman! I had a new reason to hate her now.

Not only had she been the ultimate cause of my motion sickness, she had shown me up by being able to aid Link when I could not, and I knew she cared about him as well. If she got in my way, I'd…!

Wait a minute! What was I thinking? I couldn't…! And besides, she was the one person that Link feared almost more than the King of Evil himself. I had nothing to worry about, right?

"Hyrule to Sheik!"

"Oh! Yes?" I snapped out of my thoughts to realize that the Hero was waving his hand in front of my face.

"I was saying that the next room is right over there." He pointed at a door to the left of us, on the same level. "You'll be able to come too this time!" A smile lit up his face.

Happy as I was to see him so excited, I worried anyway. What if something happened to him because of me? What if…? What if that dream I'd had a while ago was more than just a dream? I'd die if something happened to someone I loved again because of me. Wait…! Did I just think what I thought I thought? I shook my head to clear it of my conflicting emotions and confusing thoughts. There was no time to think of that now. There was no turning back.

The key clicked in the lock, breaking as the chains fell into the watery depths of the temple. The door opened into a room that made me a little dizzy. Platforms traveled down the slope of a wall before withdrawing beneath it. On the other side of the room was a small indent in the wall, which housed the door into the next room. I bit my lip in anxiety as I realized exactly how difficult it was going to be to cross a simple room. Although the distance between the platforms wasn't something I'd worry about under normal circumstances, water was running over just about everything in the room, meaning the platforms would likely be slick. If either of us slipped, we'd fall into the abyss below us. With a screeching sound, both Keese that guarded the entrance of the room died as Link shot them with his hookshot.

"Link, I'm going to try to cross first, so stay out of the way until I've succeeded." I stated.

"Wouldn't it make more sense if I crossed first? It would be easier for me, since there are hookshot targets everywhere in this room." He asked. I could feel myself twitch due to the fact that I'd embarrassed myself. And in front of him, for that matter! At that moment, I wished that I could have just shrunk into nothingness.

"Ah… alright, then. I'll stay out of your way." I replied, wishing that I'd said nothing in the first place.

I watched as he used his hookshot to pull himself from platform to platform, getting closer and closer to the top each time. The lithe warrior's reflexes and skill with his weapons was to be envied. I personally wished I were half the marksman he was. It took him very little time to ascend the slope, and as he climbed up to the top, he waved to me. I supposed it was my turn now.

I took a breath to steady myself, and took a leap of faith, hoping I'd timed it well enough that I wouldn't fall into the abyss. I landed on one of the platforms, which was quickly moving down into the darkness. With as much speed as I could muster, I leaped from platform to platform, much the same as Link had with the aid of his hookshot.

However, I wasn't immune to the slickness of the platforms. As I landed on a platform near the top, I lost my balance, and began to fall backwards.

"Gotcha!" Link shouted, his hand grasping my wrist. He helped me up to the ledge, making it look easy. Although, the fact that I was so slim that I was almost girlish was probably a factor in that.

"Ah… Thank you." I said, playing with the fabric of my cowl, "That's a second time you've saved me." He smiled at my comment, placing the last of the two keys in the lock. It made a click as the chains released their hold on the door.

"Don't worry about it." He replied, "After all, you're my friend. I'm not about to let you get hurt. Friends protect each other."

"Yes… Friends…" I sighed, part of me wishing that we could be more than that, another part of me knowing that my fondest wish would never be granted.

IS92: So…. Now that I've finished this chapter, it's about 10:30 at night, and I'm exhausted as heck. I really should sleep in a bit more than I do on breaks and weekends, but otherwise, I'd never get anything done!

Val: You barely get anything done anyway, so what are you talking about?

IS92: AAAHHHHH! ZOMBIE!

Val: I'm not a zombie. Din's fire, you act crazy when you're tired.

IS92: *pokes Val with a stick*

Val: Would you stop that?

IS92: Are you sure you're Val? 'Cuz last time I checked, Sheik was the uptight one.

Sheik: I am not uptight!

IS92: Yes you are. Do not argue with meeeeeeee!

Val: She's got a point, you know.

Sheik: Shut it.

Val: Make me.

Sheik: Oh I will. *evil grin*

Val: O.o'

IS92: I hate to half-quote some random thing when I can't remember what it is, but when you guys leave me out of the conversation in the author's notes when I'm the _**author,**_ I kinda feel weird. Anyway, review! Comments and Criticism is appreciated, although I like the former better! Flames will be used to roast a future villain…. MUAHAHA!

Val: I hope she doesn't mean her…

IS92: Anyway, Mata ne!


	11. Chapter 11

IS92: Hey peeps! XD I find that kinda ironic because I'm writing this so close to Easter. I'm sorry that I just left off at a bit of a cliff hanger last time. I just had to wrap the chapter up before it got too long. Besides, the fight to come deserves a chapter that can fit it all, ne? Well, anyway, no own, no sue, and on to the angst! XD It just seems as if that's all this fic is sometimes, this chapter included.

Ch. 11

As the door opened, a certain foreboding filled me. What was beyond this seemingly ordinary door that filled me with such fear?

"Link…!" I gasped, we've got to be careful… There's something dangerous in there." I could barely believe my eyes nor my ears when I realized he was laughing.

"You shouldn't worry so much." He said, "I've gotten this far on my own, haven't I?"

"So says the guy who nearly fell to his death down a bottomless pit." His overconfidence was going to be his demise at this rate.

"You are never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Not until you stop being reckless." I replied, rather short with him.

The room was shrouded in a thick layer of mist, immediately making me feel as if I was in a dream. Or, more appropriately, a nightmare, as that foreboding feeling was still there despite the apparent emptiness of the room.

"I followed link across the room, sighing when he decided to try to open the door despite the heavy iron bars that were in the way. This was going to be a long dungeon, I could feel it now.

"You didn't see a switch anywhere, did you?" He asked, stepping back and scratching his head.

"I'd think it impossible, seeing as this mist is covering everything in sight." I replied. With a sigh, he turned around, walking back towards the entrance.

"I guess we're can't get through for now. Let's check back later." He said.

But something didn't feel right.

The whistle of a blade through the air was the only warning we had.

"Link! Look out!" I cried, tackling the Hero to shove him to the side. A searing pain shot through my side as the blade intended for Link hit me in the ribs. I clutched at my side as I removed myself from where I'd landed, covering the red splotch that was blooming across the cloth of my armor. It had sliced through it cleanly, showing only a small patch of my skin.

Link looked at me and blanched. I could understand, as I was sure this was the only time he'd seen an ally wounded in combat.

"I'm fine! Get up and fight!" I shouted, trying to snap him out of the daze he was in.

He shook his head and drew his sword, looking for his opponent, who was hiding in the mist at the moment.

"Coward! Show yourself!" Link shouted into the mist, "Are you so weak that you only attack an unsuspecting opponent?"

"That's rather backwards, now isn't it?" a cold, sibilant voice replied from the mist. I couldn't place it, but I'd heard it before somewhere.

"After all, I'm you." A figure stepped from the mist, a perfect copy of Link, other than the fact that this man was darker, and from what I could tell, much more evil.

"How are you supposed to be me?" Link asked.

"Shut up and fight, Hero." The dark Link replied, his blood red eyes flashing dangerously.

It was then that I'd finally placed the voice.

_A presence appeared behind me, but I couldn't move to face it._

"_You're next, Sheikah boy." A soft sibilant voice said from behind me. _

The voice was that of the specter in my dream. The foreboding that had filled me when we had entered the room was nothing compared to the pure unadulterated fear that coursed through my body now. I pushed myself up on my free hand, trying to get up but failing. I was losing blood fast, despite how superficial the wound had seemed. I did my best to staunch the flow of blood and stay quiet, as any distraction from me could cost the Hero his life at this point.

The two fighters raged across the water-covered floor. Each time Link would attempt to attack his shadow, the apparition would counter with a similar move. It was graceful in a way. The two were involved in a dance that would end in the death of one of the dancers. Neither opponent was showing any mercy, which I expected. It really drove it home that these two were fighting not only for some distant seeming cause, but also for their very lives.

It was something that worried me greatly, although it didn't stay at the forefront of my mind for long.

Because soon after the thought entered my mind, I felt a new presence in the room, something very familiar that I never thought I'd feel again.

"Hey."

The familiar voice brought tears to my eyes. It… It couldn't be…! I turned to look at the speaker, and when I confirmed the suspicions of my disbelieving mind, I felt as if I couldn't breathe.

"V-Val. Is it…? Is it really you…?" I breathed, unable to speak any louder than a whisper.

"Yeah. It's me, babe." He said, the same warm smile crossing his face that I would never forget for the rest of my life.

"How…?" I asked, "I… I thought you were dead…!" I couldn't believe it. He was really alive! But something still didn't feel right. I couldn't place it, but it felt wrong. Was it really him?

"I don't know." He replied, "That's the funny thing. Did you know I've been looking for you for the last who knows how long? You're not an easy man to find, Sheik."

"You've been looking for me? After I left you for dead?"

"Yeah. I'm the one who told you to run, don't you remember?"

"Better than you would imagine."

"Do you really think that I'd just give you up? After all we'd been through?"

"I'd hope not. You were my first love, Val." I reached out towards him. "I don't want you to ever leave me again."

"Then I won't." He said, reaching back towards me. I pulled him closer, finally feeling safe again. I couldn't believe it. I was in Val's arms again. I could feel his warm embrace surround me, putting back together my broken heart. I didn't want to leave his side for anything, ever.

But I've said it before, haven't I? The Goddesses didn't seem to want the two of us to be together.

One moment, I was safe in Val's arms again. And the next, a new warmth was spreading over me. A warmth that made me cringe. I looked up at Val to see that the light in his eyes was gone. His throat had been slit, and his blood was seeping out over me. I removed myself from his grasp, fear and hysteria taking over. Over Val's body, the dark Link stood, holding his bloody sword. I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. Panic was setting in.

"It's your fault, you know." The dark Link stated, calm and collected as ever. "If you hadn't shown up, he wouldn't have come out of hiding. Truth is, I've been waiting to kill him for months now. And you're the one who lured him out. I should thank you." The shadow laughed, a sinister sound.

But it ended when a blade pierced his heart, erupting through his chest. Black blood coated the tip of the master sword, evaporating as it was exposed to the air.

"Very good, Hero. But I'm not going to die that easily." The shadow said, returning to his battle.

"I know." Link replied, a fierce look in his eyes. He yanked the sword through the shadow's body, ripping his torso in two. The battle was over, and the Hero was victorious.

"Are you alright, Sheik?" Link asked as the mist faded, revealing a simple, empty room.

I couldn't speak. Why? Why did this happen? Why again? Why now that I was just beginning to cope with his death? All I could do was hug my knees to my chest and cry.

"What's wrong?" Link asked, putting an arm around my shoulders to comfort me. "Come one, you can tell me." I shook my head. "Yes you can, now _please_ talk to me." I couldn't control myself. Even though I'd spent years trying my hardest to seem as if I'd had no emotions at all, there was no way I could contain my grief at having happiness ripped from grasp once again. I cried for what seemed like ages before I could speak. And Link, the amazing guy he is, was so patient with me. I was grateful for that.

"I had a lover once. Someone I was so in love with I'd have died for them. And he loved me back just as much. Well, just a few years back, when the princess was being moved, we were attacked. He –his name was Valamaiel- he was with us at the time. He saved me at a time that I couldn't have saved myself. But in doing so, he gave his life. Or so I thought. But… But he was here! I saw him!" As I spoke, the tears filled my eyes once again. "And then… And then HE killed him! Right there, right after I'd just got him back!" I pointed to the spot where I had been before, where Val had been.

"Sheik, there's no one there." Link replied.

"What?" I asked, stunned, "He was there! I know it! He was… there…" I stared at the spot where Val's corpse had been.

"There was never anyone there." Link said, "I'm sorry. This person meant a lot to you, I can tell. But there was never anyone there." I looked up at him disbelievingly.

"Then… how? How did I see him so clearly?"

"I don't know. But I think it has something to do with this room. It seems to reveal the darkest parts of a person. That dark Link didn't leave a body either. He was an illusion. Perhaps this pain you have because of Valamaiel was your darkness."

"You're probably right. There was no way Val would have escaped, anyway. I shouldn't hope for something to be real when it's impossible." Link shook his head at me, seeming a bit frustrated.

"That's not what I mean. I mean that you've mourned him for long enough. If he was the kind of person it seems he was, then I'd imagine he'd tell you that, too." Link said.

And he was right. I'd mourned Val for more years than I'd thought to keep track of. I needed to come to terms with the idea that he was dead, that there was no way he could have survived. I gasped slightly as I felt strong arms surround me in a gentle hug. As Link drew back, he held onto my shoulders, looking me in the eyes.

"You know, I'll be here for you. I don't know how good I'll be as far as advice goes, but I'll definitely be here to listen if you need to talk." A warm feeling flooded me at his words.

But could I really depend on him? Although the sincerity in his eyes said that I could, the apprehension that was twisting my stomach in knots said that I couldn't.

But, by the Goddesses, I wanted to! I already cared about him, that was true. He… He had almost made me forget Val. And… If I were to be honest with myself, I didn't know how much longer I could stand to exist this way. I had been used to loneliness before, that wasn't the problem. Ever since Val's… death… however, that loneliness had been replaced by something else. It felt like… emptiness. Perhaps… Perhaps it was time that I learned to trust again.

I gazed into the Hero's eyes for a moment, then wiped away the tears that still clung to my face.

"I'll remember that."

He gave a small chuckle, his expression as warm as ever. I absently wondered how he managed to stay so cheerful. He saw so many horrible things in his life. It took a lot of courage to keep smiling during such difficult times.

"If you're okay, then let's get moving." He said, still smiling, "Even if it is for a good reason, I don't want to spend too much time here." I nodded and got up, wincing slightly.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, worry overtaking his expression. I nodded.

"It's nothing I can't bear." I replied, examining my wound, "It's bloody, but it's not as deep as it looks." I pulled out a spool of thread and a needle from the bandages beneath my tabard. "If you give me a few minutes, I'll be finished fixing myself up."

"Alright, but how are you gonna… Oh." The hero winced watching the needle slide into my skin. I would have laughed, but it would have pulled the stitches I was carefully sewing through myself, bringing the two sides of the wound together.

"It's not as painful as it looks." I said, tying the last stitch, "I promise."

"When did you learn about stuff like that?" Link asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

"The healing arts and arts of war are equal in importance when one acts as a bodyguard." I stated, "It is well enough that you can defend yourself and your charge, but you won't live long if you cannot heal your wounds. Since I was to be a bodyguard for the princess, I was educated in both arts since childhood. Besides, I had plenty of time to learn more while I was waiting for you."

I think I embarrassed him, because he flushed a little. It was the first time I'd really seen him blush like that. It confused me, though, as there was no reason he should be embarrassed as far as I could see. What I'd said was the truth.

"Alright. Let's get moving." I said, "I'm finished trying to fix myself up, so we don't need to stall here any longer."

"R-right." he said, quickly turning to the door.

My mind wandered. Why had he become embarrassed, just because I'd answered his question? I didn't know if I'd ever understand the blue-eyed boy in front of me.

The next room was very small compared to the one before. It was relatively bare, with only one visible door… the one we had entered from. A treasure chest sat on a raised dais in the middle of the room.

"Awesome!" Link shouted, his eyes lighting up, "It's got to be an item!" He ripped open the chest like a child at Yule, smiling when he pulled out the contents.

He held it high above his head, and it was some sort of contraption I vaguely remembered seeing before, although I couldn't remember where.

"What did you find?" I asked, and he held it out towards me.

"It's like my hookshot." He stated, "Except it looks like the chain is longer. And the design is a little different. But other than that it's pretty much the same. I think I'll call it… the Longshot." He grinned widely, proud of himself for naming it.

"I do hope you're a good marksman with it and it doesn't become a longshot for you to win with it."I smirked, chuckling at my own bad pun. He flushed a bit, flustered.

"That's not what I meant." He replied flatly. I couldn't help but smile. When he acted like that, getting all flustered and frustrated, he was just… just too cute! My mind was wandering again…

_No! No! Bad Sheik! Bad! _I thought, mentally hitting myself in the face, _He doesn't think of you that way!_

"Ah… Sheik?" My eyes widened as my stomach sank. What did I do now? Link continued as I slowly looked up at him. "Why are you hitting yourself?"

I was so embarrassed I could have died. I couldn't tell him! If he knew… If he knew how I felt about him… Goddesses knew what he would think.

"You need not be concerned." I replied, putting on my usual cold demeanor. When he raised an eyebrow at me, I continued. "Really, it's nothing." He shrugged at me as if to say, "if you say so" and started looking around the room. His eyes widened in pleasant surprise as he approached the back of the room.

What exactly was he doing? For a moment I thought he was injured when he disappeared altogether behind the platform.

At least, until the knocking noise began.

I heaved a sigh as I saw him lying on the floor, knocking on an irregular floor tile, listening intently.

"Link, what are you doing?" a squeaky voice asked. It took me a moment to realize that it was the fairy speaking. Navi, I believe her name was. I wondered where she had been all this time.

"Navi, do you recognize the design on this block?" He asked.

"Why?" the fairy replied. I could almost hear her eyes rolling.

"You remember the windmill, don't you? When we ended up there after racing Dampé? There was a block just like this one." He said. The fairy bounced in realization.

"Oh yeah! I remember! You made it disappear with the song of time!" She squeaked. I swear, her voice was worse than nails on a chalkboard.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" I asked. The mischievous glint in Link's eye made me wonder if I shouldn't have kept my mouth shut.

"It means that this…" he said, stomping on the block, "is our door."

For a moment, I thought he was joking. But when he pulled out his ocarina and began to play the song of time, I realized he was completely serious.

With reckless abandon, he jumped down the hole left by the banished blocks. I gasped as he rapidly descended to the stone floor below. He took the fall well, landing with a roll.

"Are you crazy?" I shouted down at him, "You could have been killed!"

"You don't need to worry!" He replied, "The cliff by the shop in Kokiri Forest is higher than that, and I jumped off that all the time!" My stomach fluttered as I gauged the distance to the ground.

"Come on, you'll be just fine!" He promised, "I'll catch you." Sadly, he was missing the point. Although I didn't mind the offer. Heights did not usually bother me. It was the idea of falling that distance onto stone that did. Dirt and grass weren't a problem. They were soft enough to not give such a jarring effect. But stone was hard and cold, and could easily mean a broken bone. In fact, if I hit the floor from this height, I was sure it would. But he did say… he did say he would catch me.

Well, I had to get out of that room somehow.

I took the leap, freefalling through the air to what could have been my doom.

But it wasn't.

Because moments before I hit the ground, a strong pair of arms broke my fall.

Just like he's promised, Link had caught me.

"See? That wasn't so bad." He said, giving me a smile.

I had to agree, and, returning the smile, I realized that my apprehension earlier had all been for naught. I could depend on him after all.

IS92: Well, dang! That one took a really, really long time. I was expecting this one to be done a long time ago, but you know how it is. I start writing and I get about halfway through and writer's block decides to rear its ugly head.

Sheik: It wouldn't do that so much if you weren't so picky about what you wrote. Or as fickle with your mood.

IS92: And there's the pot calling the kettle black. You do realize that it's because of your fickle moods that this fic exists, right?

Sheik: No it isn't!

IS92: Whatever you say, Mr. Pot. Anyway, review please! I'll try to have the next chapter up soon!


	12. Chapter 12

IS92: what's up people? A triple (I think) update today to say I'm sorry for keeping you guys waiting. I've been up to my neck in senior stuff since school got out, and it's just insane. And then my parents decided to ground me. (although I will say I deserved it.) That, and my little sister has been taking over the computer at the time that I usually post. Because my parents think gives the computer viruses, they don't exactly like me being on it. Thus I have to get up insanely early to post this stuff, as my computer does not have interweb access. And now I have to compete with my sister who decides she's a computer addict (which I can sympathize with) and thus tries to be on the computer every hour of the day (which I cannot sympathize with. Other people need interweb access, too, you know!)

Val: *sweatdrop* Shouldn't you stop ranting? They might leave if you don't get to the story soon.

IS92: *eye twitches* Hiss!

Val: okaaaaaayyyy…. That's just scary.

IS92: *glare*

Sheik (who has just appeared from nowhere) *sighs and taps IS92 on the shoulder*

IS92: ?

Sheik: *points to the readers*

IS92: *cough**cough* ahemm. Anyway, No own, no sue. And I promise, my interweb withdrawal (and my insanity) is not contagious.

Sheik: *pushes IS92 off the stage/screen/thingymabibber* Why am I always on the cleanup crew?

Ch. 12

"Oh hell no."

It was the third time I'd said that particular phrase in one day.

The first had been immediately after the battle with the Dark Link. That passage Link had discovered beneath those blocks… it had turned out to be a winding corridor filled with water. And whirlpools. And the water moved faster than the river that cuts through the Gerudo Valley. Even with the aid of the Iron boots, it had been difficult for the Hero to cross the room, not to mention that I am practically useless in that sort of situation. It wasn't the first time that I'd cursed my slight build. It was torture trying to move at all, and I will say that I'd never been as happy as when we finally reached dry land.

However, that was not enough, apparently. Because the small passage out of that river of doom had only led to another room of water. A gigantic whirlpool. And then I decided the Goddesses hated me. Either that, or I was stupid. Although it was probably the latter, because who in their right mind would enter a flooded temple, one that even has the word "water" in its name, when one isn't exactly a strong swimmer? Oh. Yes… Me.

By the time we found our way back to the central chamber of the temple, I was drenched, absolutely pissed, and did I mention drenched?

I'd stayed on the top level of that tower for as long as I possibly could. I was disgusted with myself for it, but I'd let Link go on without me.

I knew I should have gone with him. Water or no, Link could be extremely reckless at times and not think anything of it. I needed to be there to keep him from killing himself by accident.

My worries were unfounded for the moment, as he eventually reappeared, gripping a gigantic gold key. The boss key. I would have breathed a sigh of relief, as it meant we'd be leaving this Goddess-forsaken place sooner than I expected.

However, two things were making me tense. Firstly, we would also soon be facing the fiercest monster in the temple. Secondly was the thing that made me state the profanity I'd mentioned earlier.

The only way across the water to the chamber where the boss lurked was to use Link's new longshot, and neither of us knew if it would take our combined weight. And it was supposed to pull us up to a ledge that was about six feet above the water level. Over that vast pit of water. The same one I'd nearly drowned in earlier. Thus my apprehension.

"Come on, Sheik. It'll be fine." He reassured me, which was all but reassuring. "You can trust me." My stomach twisted in knots of apprehension and my resistance began to crumble. I knew that mentally, the Hero was an eleven-year-old, but I swear! He could give someone the puppy dog eyes and put a puppy to shame. Dammit.

"I know I can trust you. I just don't trust that… thing." I replied, gesturing to the longshot. I mean, the chain could have practically rusted through! It had sat in this wet temple for so long, and… and… and I really didn't know what to do. He was giving me that look still. So what was I supposed to do?

"Fine." I sighed. He smiled brightly and I had to wonder if he was smarter than I gave him credit for. The way he was acting… It almost seemed as if he knew. As if he knew what exactly to do to manipulate me. And the only way he should have known that was if… But I was thinking too much. And thinking too much overcomplicates things.

He pulled me close and wrapped his arm around my waist, readying his longshot with his other hand. There was a soft "thunk" as the stone target was hit, and we began to ascend. My arms wrapped around his neck almost instinctively, taking hold of the one thing I knew I could depend on. The one person I could trust. His grip tightened around me almost imperceptibly, a small reassurance. I looked up at him, his face the picture of a real hero, and my heart jumped. The look in his eyes… It was so fierce, so determined. It was so very different from the young boy he acted like at times. And at the moment we touched the ground again, it was gone.

He headed for the door set into the back wall, towards the demon that plagued this temple, and I followed.

As we entered the room, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I could understand why this was the boss. We weren't dealing with some small insignificant monster. The room was ringed by spikes sticking out of the walls. A large pool of water with four stone pillars sat in the center, but nothing was in sight. There didn't seem to be any monster at all, but something was very wrong here. My gut instinct was to turn and run. Reckless as ever, Link jumped to a platform in the center of the room, and then the fairy realized it.

"Link! There's something weird about this water!" She cried. She'd been following Link up until he had jumped, and had now left to flutter by me. I didn't blame the little insect. Were it not for certain circumstances, I would not be anywhere near this water either.

As if in reaction to the warning, the water began to churn, a column rising behind the Hero like a tentacle. Then, what appeared to be an eyeball floated up the column to stare at him before sinking back into the water.

Before either of us had time to react, another column was forming. It wrapped itself around the Hero, picking him up off the platform and throwing him across the room.

My guard was down for only an instant, but that was enough. I felt the impact send me flying as well long before I saw my aggressor.

"Sheik!"

The Hero's voice was a small relief. He was alive. I rolled across the floor, stopping just before the spikes lining the walls could cause any further injury.

I wanted to shout, to tell him what I knew, what I knew he hadn't seen, but I couldn't speak. The creature had knocked the wind out of me.

He drew his sword, slicing at the latest tentacle the horrid little eyeball had created.

Link swore, leaping back to the outer ring of floor as the tentacle fell, attempting to crush him. "Isn't there any way to kill this thing? Water can't be cut!"

I coughed, finally regaining my breath. The creature rose from the water within another tentacle, and I took my chances.

Loosing a pair of throwing knives from my arm wrappings, I threw them at the beast. The strike knocked the monster from its watery haven, and Link spotted the eyeball. Racing forward, he struck at it with his sword, failing to slice it in half like he had planned.

I drew a tanto from beneath my tabard. This was not my day.

But nor was it a day that I should be messed with, either.

I rushed to the Hero's side.

"Isn't there any way you can pull it out of that Goddess-forsaken water?" I shouted at him. "If there isn't, I don't think we have a chance!"

He blinked and thought for a moment. He gasped as an idea came to him. Rushing off to the side, he shouted back to me.

"Keep it busy!"

_What else can I do?_ I thought, loosing another pair of thin knives from my arm wrappings. I rushed to the other side of the room, drawing the monster's attention with my fire, which barely missed.

I heard the Hero swear again from the other side of the room. A small hook flew through the tentacle of water, barely missing its target. He'd found a way to pull the actual form of the monster from the watery depths. Sometimes he really amazed me. Although it was only an idea, it could work. But he was having trouble aiming. And if Link couldn't hit it… we were dead.

And so I made what I believe to be one of the most reckless moves I've ever made.

I rushed the damned thing.

As its back was turned to me, I leapt to the platform behind it. It heard my footfalls just as I landed, and the grotesque eye spun to look at me.

My blade pierced through the pupil, and black demon blood spurted from its wound, spattering me with the ebon droplets.

It screamed; a horrible sound. It wasn't quite beast nor quite human, but a mix of both. A tentacle wrapped around my waist, throwing me backwards against the wall. Pain shot through my right shoulder, and I cried out. I must have landed on it when I hit the wall. But I'd achieved part of what I'd set out to do. I'd blinded it. The Hero finally was able to pull it from the water with the longshot, and with a single strike, sliced cleanly through the beast.

Screaming its death cry, the monster exploded into nothingness.

It was done. It was over. We'd defeated it.

My eyes closed in repose.

"Sheik!"

A warm hand grasped my shoulder, trying gently to pull me forward.

"Oh Goddesses…! Please don't be dead!"

My eyes opened to bright blue. A look of relief crossed the face in front of me.

"Why would I be dead?" I asked, truly puzzled. "I'm just tired, Hero." He looked surprised.

"Sheik… Do you really not know?" He asked.

"Not know what?" I replied, searching myself for wounds. My eyes widened as I realized there was a spike sticking out of my shoulder. The memory of the pain in my shoulder as I'd hit the wall of the room came back. That damned demon had thrown me right into one of the spikes in the wall. If it were not already dead, I'd have killed it myself.

"Have you met with the sage of water yet?" I asked, trying to keep myself from panicking. The idea of being skewered through the shoulder on a spike was beginning to get to me.

"No, not yet." He answered.

"Go. I'll tend to my wound. You have more pressing business to attend to." I said curtly. The truth was I didn't want him to see me as I pulled myself from the spike. I knew it would hurt enough to make even me weep.

"But…!" He began, but my glare was enough to silence him.

"Just. Go."

Needless to say, he left after that.

I eased myself off the spike, a little at a time. It hurt more than anything I could think of. I had to unwrap most of both my arms in order to stop the bleeding. And with that, I began to make my way back through to the entrance of the temple.

After nearly falling into the water again twice on the way back out, I finally surfaced next to the little island in the middle of the lake. It was heavenly to be on solid ground once again. I leaned against the single tree that stood on it, wishing that I had a fairy or a potion or something to heal the pain in my aching shoulder. Looking out over the lake, it was returning slowly to its former beauty.

"As the water rises, the evil is vanishing from the lake…" I mused quietly to myself. "Link, you did it!"

I stood there for only a few minutes before a column of light descended upon the dais in front of me, a single figure falling through the light. The Hero had returned from the Chamber of the Sages.

With an energy I could not understand at this point in time, he related to me what had happened in the chamber, and he told me about Ruto becoming the Sage of Water.

"So Ruto wanted to thank me?" I asked, and he nodded in reply. "I see…" I looked out over the lake once more, enjoying the sunrise more than I had in a long time. "We have to return peace to Hyrule for her sake too, don't we?" He smiled.

"It's for more than just her. It's for everyone in Hyrule." He stated, and I knew he was right. Everyone had suffered during the rule of the Evil King.

"Look at that, Link…" I said, gesturing at the surface of the filled lake in front of us, "Together, you and Princess Ruto destroyed the evil monster! Once again, the lake is filled with pure water. All is as it was here."

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Sheik." He replied, chuckling. "You played a much bigger part than Ruto." He paused, looking down at the ground before looking me straight in the eye. "I don't think I could have defeated Morpha if you hadn't blinded it. … Hey, is your shoulder alright?"

"I'll be just fine, Hero." I replied. "I'll be just fine."

IS92: Well, that was cute. Sheik definitely seems to be warming up to Link. I wrote the action scene to the opening theme from FMA Brotherhood. And I'm hoping I did a good job, because I'm horrible with action scenes and that was probably the best one I've ever written. EVER.

Sheik: Why did I have to get hurt? I'm starting to think you have something against me!

IS92: I have nothing against you, I promise.

Sheik: Then why do I keep getting hurt?

IS92: Because you're just too cute when you're upset. So I keep writing you that way. And giving you a reason so you don't look like a whiny little wuss.

Sheik: Well I'm glad you think so highly of me. *rolls eyes*

IS92: Sheik's problems aside, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I'm seriously trying to get these things up, but I can't seem to get the urge to write lately and if I force myself to, then it ends up being absolute crap. So I'm really sorry that it takes so long for me to update, I really am. Please review! When you press that little button and give me a comment, it makes me happy!


	13. Chapter 13

IS92: Oi... *looks at the "updated" date for this fic and cringes* Yeah... I really have no excuse for how long it's taken me to update. I'll explain it briefly in that I have had to go through a huge transition in my life and it took a lot of getting used to... Plus I haven't exactly been inspired to work more on this story for a while... But the urge to write has returned to me!

Sheik: About freaking time! Have you realized exactly how long it's been since you wrote for this last? I've been stuck with a freaking hole in my shoulder for the past 1 year, 5 months and 8 days at least! Do you know how freaking much this hurts?

IS92: Yes, yes, Sheik, I know, I know... My fault. *sigh*

Sheik: Well, just do the freaking disclaimer so I'm not stuck in time for the next five months too...

IS92: Yes, yes. I don't own the Zelda series. On with the story!

Chapter 13

I took a few slightly shaky steps across the bridges, doing my best to keep myself steady. Despite my declarations of being okay, the blood loss from my shoulder was starting to make me feel dizzy...

"Sheik, are you sure you're alright?" Link asked, reaching a hand out to steady me.

"I'll be fine, Hero." I said dismissively. That solitary hand remained where it had been placed, holding me by the waist.

"You don't look like you're..."

Link's sentence was cut off as I all but blacked out. Accursed blood loss. I fell limply backwards, landing against Link's broad chest before he realized what was going on.

"Dear Goddesses! Sheik!" I heard him all but shriek in my ear.

_You don't have to be so loud. I can hear you, you idiot..._ I thought.

"Umm... uhh... ehhh..." I could hear the growing panic in his voice as he tried to think of something he could do. Suddenly a pair of strong arms scooped me up, and I was vaguely aware of movement. I was being carried. But I couldn't hear what was going on anymore... consciousness... slowly faded away...

_Oh dear Nayru, my head..._ I thought as I started to come to. My eyes fluttered open, revealing...

"You're finally awake, eh, son?"

A very strange-looking ancient man.

"Who...?" I asked, sitting bolt upright, then flopping back over with a pained noise. Goddess-forsaken son of a redead, that didn't help my headache.

"Well don't go moving about; you've just barely woken up! Don't want you passing out again, do we?" The old man asked, giving a raspy chuckle. "I'm Doctor Mizumi. I run this laboratory here at Lake Hylia. And you are very lucky your friend got you to me when he did! You have a serious injury, young man. If you'd bled any more, you could've easily been to the point where none of my potions could've helped you."

"You mentioned my... friend." I said, sitting up slowly this time so as to not aggravate my head, "Do you know where he went?" The doctor tilted his head in thought.

"I don't know exactly where, but the lad was rambling on about some sort of potion or a fairy. He had a wild look in his eyes before he ran off." The doctor answered, going to sit at his bench and work with whatever experiment he was doing at the moment. I blinked and shook my head. Had Link really been so worried about me?

My question was answered when a certain blond hero all but crashed through the door of the laboratory.

"Dr. Mizumi! I got the..." he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. The relief in his eyes was overwhelming. "Sheik! You're awake!"

"Yes. I'm awake, Hero. You didn't really think I'd die on you so easily, did you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"No... i just... Umm... I brought you some red potion!" he said, holding the bottle out to me. And... was that a slight blush on his face? I banished the idea from my mind, feeling my cheeks start to heat at the thought. There was no way that was possible. I mean, why would the Hero be blushing anyway...?

"Are you sure you want me to use this? I'm sure you know this stuff is expensive... Don't you think it would be better if you saved it for later on? A little wound like this is no big deal..." I protested. _For when you might need it? _I thought, but he pushed it into my hands.

"I'm sure." He said, a big idiotic smile on his face. "You need to get better before we can continue our journey, after all." I gave a small smile.

"I think it's actually your journey... But if you insist." I said, and I opened the bottle, turning away to lift my cowl and drinking its contents quickly. It was bitter, and the sharp, scalding heat of the mixture quickly made its way throughout my body, eventually concentrating in my shoulder. I could feel muscles and nerves being to repair themselves, stitches dissolving into nothingness. I moved my arm, popping the joint when the sensation cooled.

"How does it feel?" Link asked when the potion was finished doing its work.

"Just as these things always feel after a red potion. Like it was never injured in the first place." I replied, handing him back the bottle. That idiotic smile was back on his face. I looked away, feeling a blush color my cheeks once again, my heart starting to melt when I saw the look in his eyes.

"Oi. Stop your grinning and let's get going, Hero." I stood up, thanking Dr. Mizumi profusely for his help before turning back to the hero. "Don't forget that the fate of Hyrule hangs in the balance here. We need to get to Kakariko."

"Why Kakariko?" He asked. I sighed. Sometimes one really had to wonder... How did Hyrule depend on this guy?

"Because that's where the next temple is. 'One within the house of the dead,' remember?" I replied.

"Oh yeah!" he laughed nervously, "I forgot."

"Well that's obvious. Let's just get going." Despite his idiocy, I had to say, the Hero... No. Link was growing on me. The little things he did no longer made me cringe in embarrassment for him or myself, instead making me smile. I had to wonder... when did that happen?

IS92: I'm really sorry if this feels short. The words didn't want to be woven into existance today.

Sheik: So you take almost a year and a half to put up a new update, and this is what your readers get? *facepalm* Good Goddesses, what am I going to do with you?

IS92: Well at least I made you guys make some progress!

Sheik: What progress? We haven't even made it to the next temple yet!

IS92: You don't have a gaping wound in your shoulder anymore! I call that progress! Plus you've admitted that Link doesn't annoy you as much as you act like he does! And you liiiiiike him!

Sheik: *BLUSH*

Link: what? I heard my name.

Sheik: Go AWAY, Hero.

Link: What'd I do...?

IS92: Anyway, I'm going to try to get at least another chapter or two up within the next few days, assuming I don't have any tests in my classes. But since it's the weekend almost, I shouldn't have too much trouble with that. *crosses fingers* Please review!

Link: Can't someone explain what I did wrong...?


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

IS92: I really need to stop making promises I can't keep. But in my defense, I had a lot come up recently.

Sheik: Sure. But that's really no excuse for not keeping your promises.

IS92: Yeah, Yeah. I know...

Sheik: Just do the disclaimer...

IS92: Alright alright. I don't own Zelda or any of the things from the Zelda series. Let's get to the story before the fangirls flay me and eat me alive...

Chapter 14

As we reached the outskirts of Kakariko Village, I was surprised to smell the faintest hint of smoke... Something was wrong.

"Wait here, Link!" I shouted, dashing into the village, not waiting for him to actually listen to me. The sight that met me was a terror.

The village was ablaze.

Every building was on fire, and I cursed myself for having gotten hurt and delayed our journey here for so long. But now was not the time. I ran to help one of the villagers put out his house. When the flames were extinguished, I started to ask my questions, finding out what had happened. But the fires were apparently the least of the village's problems right now. A great rumbling came from within the earth, beneath the well...

A sickening feeling hit my stomach as I realized... That thing in the stories Aunt Impa used to tell me... That shadow monster that very few could see unaided, the one she had sealed into the well many years ago... It was trying to get out. And with Aunt Impa at the shadow temple, There was no way to stop it. I froze in front of the well,

And Link, that IDIOT came running into the village as soon as I had been able to approach it. The rumbling beneath the well hushed for a moment, almost like the beast had stopped trying to escape. But that was too good to be true. The beast couldn't have just given up. I knew it wouldn't. Even when Aunt Impa had fought to seal this beast, it was much more tenacious than that, and with it's anger allowed to grow unchecked over the years, it was much harder to believe that the monster would just give up.

I heard Link's footsteps behind me as I carefully watched the well for any signs of movement. Stupid Hero, didn't he know he could be killed?

"Get back, Link!" I shouted at him as the ground began to tremble slightly beneath my feet once more. The tremors grew and then finally, the wooden archway that went over the well flew from the ground, the sound of cracking timber almost drowning out the faint pop of the seal Impa had placed breaking. And then... That... thing... It came out of the well... I stepped back just slightly, preparing to fight it, barely noticing that Link was still staring at the remains of that stupid wooden arch.

I could see the thing clearly, ominously glowing red eye looking like a deformed flower's center, something that had burned to ashes, perhaps. Two grotesquely gnarled hands floated free of the stumps of its arms. The body of the thing looked like some sort of disfigured human torso, but that was all I could see. The massive beast was still partially hidden in the well.

Its red eye looked at me almost... curiously, and one of its gnarled hands flew forward and grabbed me tightly around the waist. I couldn't breathe. I flailed and hit at the thing's hand as it started to shake me and threw me off to the side. I landed past the steps, the wind knocked out of me, though I was still conscious.

"Sheik! Are you alright?" Link called out, dashing towards me. He knelt by my side, checking to make sure I was still breathing.

_Stupid Hero! _ I thought, _Didn't anyone tell you not to take your attention away from your opponent? _ He was making a big mistake. As I heard Link unsheathe his sword, I wanted desperately to yell at him to just run and not be a fool. He'd only get himself hurt if he tried to fight the beast now, when I'm pretty sure he couldn't even see it. But I couldn't speak or move from where I was just yet. I lifted my head to watch Link. The beast had taken a shadowy form, slithering across the ground towards him. He held his shield up, sword at the ready, but that wouldn't be enough. I reached out to try and tell him to run, to do anything except stand there. But he paid me no attention.

"Don't worry Sheik. I'll protect you." He said with deadly seriousness in his voice. I wanted to strangle the idiot. Didn't he realize how stupid he was being, putting himself in danger because of me?

The beast picked him up, tossing him back and forth between its massive hands before throwing him to the ground and returning to its shadowy form, slithering away towards the shadow temple. This was bad. This was very very bad.

"Looks like you're coming around..." I said, almost in tears in relief. He sat up, shaking his head to clear it. "Thank Nayru you're okay..." My relief was short-lived, as I remembered what had brought him so close to being killed.

"You Goddess-forsaken moron!" I yelled at him, "I ought to kill you myself just for being such an idiot! Do you have any idea how much danger you were in? How much danger you put the future of this land in with your stupid actions? Get it through your head, Hero! It's nice that you want to protect everyone, but doing something so... so... moronically suicidal is just insane!"

"But... Sheik... You could have died..." He said, looking at me with sad eyes. If I'd been any less angry at him, the expression would have made me feel as guilty as if I'd kicked a puppy. I leaned in close to him, looking him in the eye and making sure he was looking back.

"Don't you EVER do that again. I have known since day one how dangerous this would be, and I have not once deluded myself with the idea that I can't possibly die along the way, Hero. It's a risk I've been willing to take. And when it comes down to it, your life is worth infinitely more than mine. If I die, then you have to figure things out for yourself and actually use the lump three feet above your arse for once. If you die, then all of Hyrule's hopes for freedom from Ganondorf die with you. Please realize that, Link." I breathed slowly, trying to calm myself down after ranting at the boy so much. It was not suitable for a Sheikah warrior to have such an emotional outburst, and I had to wonder if the attachment I was developing towards the Hero was the root cause of this. But wondering about that was for later. There were bigger things I needed to talk to Link about now.

"I'm sorry, Sheik." He said, frowning. He seemed honestly hurt, something that I could understand, given the way I'd just spoken to him. "I didn't think about it that way. But... I'm still glad I was able to protect you." He smiled softly, and I felt myself melt a little. But again... This wasn't the time for that.

"Link..." I stated, looking him in the eyes, helping him up, "A terrible thing has happened! The evil shadow spirit has been released!" He looked at me and from the expression on his face, I knew he had made the connection between what had attacked the two of us and the thing I was speaking of.

"Impa, the leader of Kakariko Village, had sealed the evil shadow spirit in the bottom of the well... But the force of the evil spirit got so strong, the seal of the well broke, and it escaped into the world!" I continued, trying to explain as quickly as I could, "I believe Impa has gone to the Shadow Temple to seal it up again, but...she will be in danger without any help! Link! Impa is one of the six Sages. Destroy the evil shadow spirit and save Impa! There is an entrance to the Shadow Temple beneath the graveyard behind this village." He nodded in understanding.

"I'll go right away." He promised. I pulled out my lyre.

"The only thing I can do for you is teach you the melody that will lead you to the Shadow Temple... This is the melody that will draw you into the infinite darkness that absorbs even time... Listen to this, the Nocturne of Shadow!" I played the somber, almost scary tune, and he echoed it back to me. The music joined into a duet, echoing throughout the near-empty village.

He brought the Ocarina away from his lips as I put away my lyre.

"Let me take care of the village." I said, wishing I could be more useful than I was at the moment. "I'm counting on you, Link. You have to help Impa." He put his hand on my shoulder.

"I will. I promise. I'll be back before you know it." He gave me one of those bright, genuine smiles of his and then played the tune I'd just taught him, warping off with a little sparkle.

"Good luck, Link." I said, looking off in the direction of the graveyard. I had work to do. The people of Kakariko Village needed me now.

IS92: Well Sheik certainly gave you an earful, didn't he Link?

Sheik: He deserved it, too. *crosses arms*

Link: Oh come on. You're not still mad, are you?

Sheik: What do you think?

Link: You're still mad. Geez. I said I was sorry!

Sheik: Just come back alive and I might forgive you.

IS92: I don't have the energy to deal with you two today... So I'll just end your argument here. Thanks to everybody who is still reading this, especially to those who have been waiting all this time. :) I promise, you guys. I'm going to finish this one way or another, and it should definitely go faster now. I didn't get over 25,000 words into this just to stop because of a year and a half of writer's block.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

IS92: And here we are for chapter 15! Hopefully my inspiration stays with me and I can finish this fic quickly. I have a lot of ideas for the next few chapters, and I think I vaguely know how I'm ending this fic, so it works. The drama certainly has not ended yet, and will not for quite some time, too, so keep reading, peeps! ^-^

Sheik: Aren't you forgetting something?

IS92: ummm... no?

Sheik: *coughcough* disclaimer *coughcough*

IS92: Right, right... yeah, that thing... I owneth not the Legend of Zelda, Nor doth I own anything related to it! Now on with the story!

Chapter 15

It was almost a week before I even saw Link again. I aided the villagers in rebuilding the town and healing the wounded as best I could, doing whatever I could. And when the work for the day was done, I'd sit in the graveyard, waiting for some sign that the Hero was okay. As the days went by, I grew increasingly worried for him. What if staying behind and helping the villagers was the wrong choice? If Link somehow died within that temple... I would never forgive myself.

But why? He was the Hero, after all. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. He was supposed to be taking care of himself, actually. I... I had broken the rules by travelling with him, after all. But somehow, I felt like I was supposed to protect him. No, I wanted to protect him. It wasn't because I felt like I had to, it was because... Because why? Because I didn't want to see him hurt. But why?

It... It was a perfectly ordinary feeling, wasn't it? It wasn't... it... it couldn't be... No. I refused to acknowledge it. I refused. There was no way this was... was... l...love... I felt my face flush at the thought. If the feeling I had was ...love... then I would just be setting myself up for heartbreak. I was a Sheikah warrior. Love was an emotion that I couldn't allow to control my actions, and it was one that always would if given the chance. I couldn't.. I couldn't keep getting so close to him.

Even if I wanted to get closer to him, if I dared hope that there would be something more, it was still not like those hopes could ever turn out well. He was the Hero. And I... I was just me. Very little separated me from the rest of Hyrule's population, whereas he... He was a living legend.

I frowned, closing my eyes and slumping against the cool wood of the fence that separated the graveyard from the path to the village. It wasn't something I could control. The gap was simply too far for me to cross on my own. If... If he... I stopped my thoughts there to avoid getting my hopes up. There was no way that someone like the Hero could truly care about someone like me. It was best to resign myself to the shadows, where I belonged.

I made up my mind that I would leave; I would go back to watching from afar after the Hero returned.

And when I finally saw him, descending in that column of light that always accompanied leaving a temple, I made up my mind to say goodbye.

Until I saw him take two steps and collapse.

"Link!" I rushed to his side just in time to catch him as he fell.

"I did it, Sheik..." He breathed, a faint smile playing on his bruised and beaten features. He had what looked like a mix of blood and some kind of black ichor staining the green cloth of his tunic. As it was, I couldn't tell if any of it belonged to him or not.

"That's really good, Link. You did well, now just stay with me." I said, trying to keep the fear out of my voice. I shouldn't have let him go in alone. I tried to pick him up, pulling him onto my back, hoping I wasnt injuring him further.

"Goddesses, you're heavy..." I grumbled when I finally managed the task. Doing my best not to jostle him too much, I carried him back into the village. Not knowing where else to take him, I carried him to my aunt's house, one of the few places I knew he would have safe haven.

"Link? Are you still with me?" I asked him and I felt a small nod against my shoulder.

"Good. You have to stay awake until we know you'll be alright..." I laid him down on a small bed in the corner. I knew that leaving him alone was not a good idea, but it was all I could do for the moment.

"I'll be back with help soon Link... Just hold on..." I said softly, and I dashed across the village to try to enlist the help of the one person I thought had the ability. Kakariko never really had a proper healer. Instead, there was the woman who ran the potion shop. No one really knew her name anymore, she was only ever "the potion shop lady" or "the hag" if one did not like her.

Hyrule was lucky that day. I found her in the shop and she agreed to help. I brought her back to where Link was, and somehow he hadn't gotten any worse, although I had to wonder how close to death he really was. I could do nothing but sit back and watch as the woman worked to heal Link to the best of her ability.

I know not even an hour had passed since the woman had arrived when she had finished, but it had seemed like an eternity to me, waiting in the corner, jumping at the chance to do anything to help.

"Now all he needs is some good rest." she said, standing up and getting ready to leave. "Certainly had a number done on 'im, but he's a strong lad. He'll pull through. So stop lookin' like you're about to cry, lad." I blinked in surprise and she gave a coarse, barking laugh before leaving for her potion shop again. Before the door shut, I thanked her for her help.

When she was gone, I pulled a chair up next to Link, flopping down into it unceremoniously. If she said his life wasn't in danger, then it most likely wasn't, but I still wanted to keep an eye on him...

"Link, are you..." My half asked question was answered with a soft snore.

_He's asleep._ I thought, watching his calm, sleeping face. _No, I'm not feeling creepy at all..._ I sighed, sitting back in my chair.

"I wish I'd gone with you." I confessed to the sleeping Hero, "Maybe... Maybe I could have helped you so that you didn't get so hurt... I feel like I'm the one at fault for Hyrule almost losing its Hero..."

I brushed some of his hair out of his face, his skin smooth beneath my fingertips.

"I'm afraid, Link... I'm afraid I've done something that I can no longer repair." I paused, almost wishing he could hear my words, but still afraid of what he might think if he did hear me right now...

"I'm afraid I've fallen in love with you."

IS92: So he finally admits it... Too bad that Link is out cold when he does... DX But hey, at least he's sure of himself now.

Sheik: What's that supposed to mean?

IS92: Well you went from questioning it to finally admitting it to yourself. I think that's kinda a big thing, don't you?

Sheik: I guess so...

IS92: Well anyway, took me long enough to get this chapter out. I had to write it twice because life hates me and I didn't save the chapter before I closed the stupid window...

Sheik: *rolls eyes* Well that's smart, isn't it?

IS92: Oh hush it. At least it's written now! Anyway, I'm hoping to get this fic finished as soon as possible, so that will mean more frequent updates for you readers and more slaving away over a hot keyboard for me. :P But that's all I really have to say for now, I'll see you guys in chapter 16~!


	16. Chapter 16

IS92: Hey peeps! I'm baaaaaack~! :D And I already know how this is all going to end!

Sheik: Then why haven't you finished it yet?

IS92:... because a dinosaur ate my computer?

Sheik: Liar.

IS92: I'm ignoring you. *ignores Sheik* Anyway, there's only a couple more chapters to go, it depends on how many chapters it takes me to get my thoughts and such down. But yeah. WRITER'S BLOCK DEFEATED. :D Oh, And I don't own Zelda. Whatsoever. Yup.

ON WITH THE STORY~!

Chapter 16

It was late at night before the hero awoke. I was nodding off in the chair beside him when his eyes finally fluttered open.

"Sheik?" He asked quietly, his voice quiet and raspy. I nearly missed the whisper.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, trying to hide the relief that flooded through my mind at his awakening. However, with my earlier realization still in the back of my mind, I knew that the feeling wasn't entirely because "the Hero" was alive and going to be all right. It was because Link was safe, and I couldn't help but feel selfish for not thinking of Hyrule's wellbeing above all else. It was how I was raised to think.

"Like I got attacked by cuccos, chewed up, spit out and run over by a herd of cattle." came the reply, a humorous glint in Link's deep blue eyes.

"At least you are awake." I said simply, keeping the "and alive" part to myself.

"Yeah, that's true." Link said as he sat up slowly, cracking his joints as he did so. He grimaced a little at the stiffness of his muscles.

"Well I suppose I should go get the potion shop lady and let her know you're awake." I said, getting up and turning to go.

"Hey, Sheik, before you go..." Link started, his unusually hesitant tone making me dread what he was going to say.

"What is it?" I asked, turning back to face him, heart pounding in my chest.

He stared at the floor for a moment, as if unsure of what he was going to say before looking me in the eyes and asking, "Did you mean what you said?"

It was as if ice had flooded my veins.

"What do you mean?"

"When you said you'd fallen for me." He stated, deep blue gaze fixing me in place.

I felt my face heating under my cowl as my heart gave a jump and sank into my stomach.

"Wh-what? I-I-I... umm... eh..." I felt frozen as I spluttered out random syllables. He wasn't supposed to know. He wasn't supposed to have heard me! I thought he was unconscious! How was this possible? He cocked his head to the side innocently, waiting for my answer.

"Um... Well... y-yes." I said softly, feeling my face heat more.

I stood in silence, unable to look at him to see his reaction. Was he disgusted by me? Would he turn me away and hate me? Would he not care?

Or would he do something possibly even worse and return my feelings?

When I stalled the fluttering of nerves and heartbeat long enough to look him in the eyes, I saw he was smiling. It was a soft smile, one I'd never seen before on his face, and it felt like I could finally breathe again.

"I've been waiting for you to say that, y'know." He said, slowly standing, testing his limbs before crossing the room and standing close to me.

"Really?" My voice had reached a rather unmanly squeak for a moment as he wrapped his arms around my waist. He gave a small laugh.

"Really." He said, brushing my bangs away from my eye. I fell into a daze at the answer. He... he... he... just... what?

"Sheik?" He asked again, the single utterance of my name just enough to snap me out of my daze.

"Wh-what?" I said, trying to pull myself together.

"Can I... Can I kiss you?" He asked, a light blush dusting his cheeks. I chewed my lip a little before lifting a hand to pull my cowl down slowly, letting the... letting Link see my face unobstructed for the first time.

He leaned in slowly, pressing his lips against mine softly. My eyes closed at the touch, my hands finding their natural place at his shoulders. He held me close, and for the first time in a very long time, I felt... loved. It just felt right. He held me even after we broke apart, his fingers running gently through my hair.

"I love you too, Sheik." He whispered in my ear.

"How can you love me? You're the Hero, and I'm... I'm nothing. Just a shadow."

"You're much more than that to me." He moved away a little to look me in the eyes. "Much, much more."

I blushed and pulled my cowl back up, trying to hide it.

"I really need to go let the potion shop lady know you're up. I'll be back later. You go rest." I made him go sit down at least before I left. At least now I knew that my feelings were reciprocated and did not have to live with the dread of it. Everything would work out for the best, right?

It wasn't wrong for me to be with him, right? The Goddesses knew what they were doing, putting Link and I in this situation, right? Nothing horrible would happen, right?

Right?

IS92: Sorry 'tis a little short... I just couldn't find a better spot to end it!

Sheik: Yeah right. You just want them to be in more suspense.

IS92: No! I just... I had to make this scene its own chapter. It just fit that way. :P

Sheik: Suuure...

IS92: well, if you liked it, let me know! The review button is always happy to be clicked! :D


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